7  3ot 


i 


Gardening  for  Profit; 


A    GUIDE    TO    THE    SUCCESSFUL    CULTIVATION 


OF  THE 


MAKKET    AND    FAMILY    GAKDEN. 


NEW    AND    ENLARGED    EDITION. 


BY 

PETER    HENDERSON, 

JBBSEY  CITY  HXIQHTS,  N.  J. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


NEW   YORK: 

ORANGE    JTTDD     COMPANY, 

245    BROADWAY. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1874,  by  the 

ORANGE  JUDD   COMPANY, 
Iii  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


CONTENTS. 


Introduction 4 

Preface  to  Second  Edition 

CHAPTER    I. 

The  Men  Fitted  for  the  Business  of  Gardening 9 

CHAPTER    H. 

Amount  of  Capital  Required  and  Working  Force  per  Acre 14 

CHAPTER    HI. 
Profits  of  Market  Gardening 18 

CHAPTER    IV. 

The  Market  Gardens  Near  London 21 

CHAPTER    V. 

Location,  Situation,  and  Laying  Out 34 

CHAPTER    VI. 

Soils,  Drainage,  and  Preparation 35 

CHAPTER    VII. 

Manures 34 

CHAPTER    Vm. 

Implements 39 

CHAPTER    IX. 

The  Uses  and  Management  of  Cold  Frames 49 

CHAPTER    X. 

The  Formation  and  Management  of   Hot-Beds 55 

CHAPTER    XI. 

Forcing  Pits  and  Green-houses 63 

CHAPTER    XII. 

Seeds  and  Seed  Raising , 73 

CHAPTER    XIIL 

How,  When,  and  Where  to  Sow  Seeds 79 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

Transplanting 90 

CHAPTER    XV. 

Packing  of  Vegetables  for  Shipping 94 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Preservation  of  Vegetables  in  Winter 96 

CHAPTER    XVH. 

Insects 99 

CHAPTER    XVm. 

Vegetables,  their  Varieties  and  Cultivation 106 

Monthly  Calendar '. '. 261 

8 


INTRODUCTION 


I  hope  it  is  no  egotism  to  state  that  in  both  the  Floral 
and  Vegetable  departments  of  Horticulture,  in  which  I 
have  been  engaged  for  the  past  eighteen  years,  I  have  been 
entirely  successful.  Now,  we  know,  that  success  only 
is  the  test  of  good  generalship,  and  it  follows  that,  having 
been  successful,  I  have  thus  earned  my  title  to  merit. 
From  this  standpoint,  I  claim  the  right  to  attempt  the  in- 
struction of  the  student  of  horticulture  in  the  tactics  of 
that  field. 

"We  have  very  few  works,  either  agricultural  or  horti- 
cultural, by  American  authors,  whose  writers  are  practical 
men,  and  fewer  still  of  these  who  are  men  that  have  "risen 
from  the  ranks."  The  majority  of  such  authors  being  ex- 
editors,  lawyers,  merchants,  etc.,  men  of  means  and  edu- 
cation, who,  engaging  in  the  business  as  a  pastime,  in  a 
year  or  two  generously  conclude  to  give  the  public  the 
benefit  of  their  experience  —  an  experience,  perhaps,  that 
has  been  confined  to  a  city  lot,  when  the  teachings  were 
of  the  garden,  or  of  a  few  acres  in  the  suburbs,  when  the 
teachings  were  of  the  farm. 


INTRODUCTION.  V 

The  practical  farmer  or  gardener  readily  detects  the  ring 
of  this  spurious  metal,  and  excusably  looks  upon  all  such 
instructors  with  contempt.  To  this  cause,  perhaps  more 
than  any  other,  may  be  attributed  the  wide-spread  preju- 
dice against  book-farming  and  book-gardening,  by  which 
thousands  shut  themselves  off  from  information,  the  pos- 
possession  of  which  might  save  years  of  useless  toil  and 
privation. 

I  have  some  pride,  under  present  circumstances,  in  say- 
ing, that  I  have  had  a  working  exp&rience  in  all  depart- 
ments of  gardening,  from  my  earliest  boyhood,  and  even 
to-day  am  far  more  at  home  in  its  manual  operations  than 
its  literature,  and  have  only  been  induced  to  write  the  fol- 
lowing pages  at  the  repeated  solicitations  of  friends  and 
correspondents,  to  whose  inquiries  relative  to  commercial 
gardening,  my  tune  will  no  longer  allow  me  to  reply  in- 
dividually. The  work  has  been  hurriedly  written,  at 
intervals  snatched  from,  the  time  which  legitimately  be- 
longed to  my  business,  and  therefore  its  text  is  likely 
to  be  very  imperfect.  I  have  endeavored,  however,  to  be 
as  concise  and  clear  as  possible,  avoiding  all  abstruse  or 
theoretical  questions,  which  too  often  serve  only  to  confuse 
and  dishearten  the  man  who  seeks  only  for  the  instruction 
that  shall  enable  him  to  practice. 

Although  the  directions  given  are  mainly  for  the  market 
garden,  or  for  operations  on  a  large  scale,  yet  the  amateur 
or  private  gardener  will  find  no  difficulty  in  modifying 
them  to  suit  the  smallest  requirements.  The  commercial 
gardener,  from  the  keen  competition,  ever  going  on  in 
the  vicinity  of  large  cities,  is,  in  his  operations,  taxed  to 
bis  utmost  ingenuity  to  get  at  the  most  expeditious  and 


n  GABDENTtfG   FOB  PROFIT. 

economical  methods  to  produce  the  finest  crops — methods, 
that  we  believe  to  be  superior  to  those  in  general  use  in 
private  gardens,  and  which  may,  with  profit,  be  followed. 

Our  estimates  of  labor,  I  trust,  will  not  be  overlooked ; 
for,  I  know,  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  gentlemen  to 
expect  their  gardeners  to  do  impossibilities  in  this  way. 
The  private  garden  cannot  be  properly  cropped  and  cared 
for  with  less  labor  than  can  our  market  gardens,  and  these, 
we  know,  require  nearly  the  labor  of  one  man  to  an  acre, 
and  that  too,  with  every  labor-saving  arrangement  in 
practice.  When  the  care  of  green-houses,  or  graperies,  is 
in  addition  to  this,  extra  labor  must  be  given  accordingly, 
or  something  must  suffer. 

The  greatest  difficulty  that  has  presented  itself  to  me 
m  giving  the  directions  for  operations,  has  been  the  dates ; 
in  a  country  having  such  an  area  and  diversity  of  temper- 
ature as  ours,  directions  could  not  well  be  given  for  the 
extremes,  so  as  the  best  thing  to  be  done  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, I  have  taken  the  latitude  of  New  York  as  a 
basis,  and  my  readers  must  modify  my  instructions  to  suit 
their  locality.  The  number  of  varieties  of  each  vegetable 
described  here,  is  very  small  in  comparison  with  those  that 
are  known,  or  the  seeds  of  which  are  offered  for  sale.  I 
have  given  only  such,  as  I  have  found  most  serviceable. 
Those  who  wish  for  a  more  extended  list  are  referred  to 
the  excellent  work  by  Fearing  Burr,  Jr.,  on  Garden 
Vegetables. 

Jersey  City  Heights  N.  J., 

December  1st,  1866. 


PREFACE    TO    SECOND    EDITION. 

It  is  now  seven  years  since  I  wrote  "  Gardening  for 
Profit,"  and,  although  it  has  met  with  a  reception  that 
has  been  exceedingly  flattering,  I  have  ever  since  felt  that 
it  was  too  hurriedly  done,  and  far  from  complete.  The 
suggestions  and  queries  made  to  me  by  some  of  the  many 
thousands  of  its  readers,  have  been  the  means  of  develop- 
ing many  new  ideas  and  plans  for  better  cultivation,  which 
I  have  the  pleasure  to  embody  in  this  edition.  A  new 
edition  of  a  work  of  this  kind  becomes  necessary  every 
few  years,  to  enable  it  to  keep  pace  with  the  improvement 
in  varieties,  as  well  as  in  modes  of  culture.  In  the  pres- 
ent edition,  the  part  of  the  work  treating  of  varieties  has 
been  carefully  revised,  and  we  believe  the  kinds  described 
to  be,  as  a  whole,  the  best  in  their  respective  classes  this 
day  in  use,  either  for  private  or  commercial  purposes.  It 
is  gratifying  to  know,  by  letters  from  every  section  of  the 
country,  that  the  publication  of  this  work  has  been  the 
means  of  helping  to  success  thousands  of  inexperienced 
cultivators  of  the  soil,  of  both  classes — those  "Gardening 
for  Pleasure,"  as  well  as  those  "  Gardening  for  Profit."  It 
is  true  that  some  that  have  been  induced  to  engage  in  the 
business  by  reading  my  book  have  failed.  Such  must  ever 
be  the  case — less  or  more — in  every  business  ;  but  I  have 
good  reason  to  believe  that  the  percentage  of  failures  in 
gardening  is  less  than  that  of  almost  any  other  business. 

PETES  HENDERSON. 
Jersey  City  Heights,  N.  J., 

January,  1874. 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   MEN    FITTED    FOR    THE    BUSINESS    OF 
GARDENING. 


Although  we  shall  here  show  the  business  of  garden- 
ing  to  be  a  profitable  one,  let  no  man  deceive  himself  by 
supposing  that  these  profits  are  attainable  •without  steady 
personal  application. 

Having  been  long  known  as  extensively  engaged  in  the 
business,  I  am  applied  to  by  scores  every  season,  asking 
how  they  can  make  their  lands  available  for  garden 
purposes.  The  majority  of  these  are  city  merchants,  who 
for  investment,  or  in  anticipation  of  a  rural  retreat  in  the 
autumn  of  their  days,  have  purchased  a  country  place, 
and  in  the  mean  time  they  wish  to  make  it  pay ;  they  have 
read  or  heard  that  market  gardening  is  profitable,  and  they 
think  it  an  easy  matter  to  hire  a  gardener  to  work  the  place, 


10  GARDENING  FOB  PBOFI1 

while  they  attend  their  own  mercantile  duties  as  before. 
They  are  usually  gentlemen  of  horticultural  tendencies, 
read  all  the  magazines  and  books  on  the  subject,  and  from 
the  knowledge  thus  obtained,  plume  themselves  with  the 
ymceit  that  they  are  able  to  guide  the  machine. 

Many  hundreds  from  our  large  cities  delude  themselve? 
m  this  way  every  season,  in  different  departments  of  hor 
ticulture ;  perhaps  more  in  the  culture  of  fruits  than  of 
vegetables.  I  have  no  doubt  that  thousands  of  acres  aro 
annually  planted,  that  in  three  years  afterwards  are  aban- 
doned, and  the  golden  dreams  of  these  sanguine  gentle- 
men forever  dissipated.  Although  the  workers  of  the 
soil  will  not,  as  a  class,  compare  in  intelligence  with  the 
mercantile  men  of  the  cities,  it  is  a  mistake  to  suppose 
that  this  want  of  education  or  intelligence  is  much  of  a 
drawback,  when  it  comes  to  cultivating  strawberries  or 
cabbages.  True,  the  untutored  mind  does  not  so  readily 
comprehend  theoretical  or  scientific  knowledge,  but  for 
that  very  reason  it  becomes  more  thoroughly  practical, 
and  I  must  say  that,  as  far  as  my  experience  has  gone, 
(without  being  thought  for  a  moment  to  derogate  against 
the  utility  of  a  true  scientific  knowledge  in  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  soil),  that  any  common  laborer,  with  or- 
dinary sagacity,  and  twelve  months'  practical  working  in 
a  garden,  would  have  a  far  better  chance  of  success,  other 
things  being  equal,  than  another  without  the  practice, 
even  if  he  had  all  the  writings,  from  Liebig's  down,  at  his 
fingers'  ends.  Not  that  a  life  long  practice  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  success,  for  I  can  see,  from  where  I  write,  the 
homes  at  least  of  half  a  dozen  men,  all  now  well  to  do  in 
the  world,  not  one  of  whom  had  any  knowledge  of  gar 


MEN  FITTED   FOB  THE   BUSINESS.  11 

dening,  either  practical  or  theoretical,  when  they  started 
the  business,  but  they  were  all  active  working  men,  "  ac- 
tual settlers,"  and  depended  alone  on  their  own  heads  and 
hands  for  success,  and  not  on  the  doubtful  judgment  and 
industry  of  a  hired  gardener,  who  had  no  further  interest 
in  the  work  than  his  monthly  salary. 

"D.  H.,"  writes  me  thus:  "I  am  a  book-keeper  with 
a  salary  from  which  I  can  save  but  little;  but  by 
rigid  economy  during  a  series  of  years,  I  have  scraped 
together  $2,000.  My  health  is  only  ordinary.  With 
that  capital  can  I  succeed  as  a  market  gardener  by  hir- 
ing an  experienced  gardener?"  This  inquiry  is  a  type 
of  hundreds  I  now  receive  annually,  and  to  which  may 
be  given  this  general  reply.  From  the  nature  of  the 
question  no  very  definite  answer  can  be  given,  though  I 
would  say  that  the  chances  are  two  to  one  against  suc- 
cess. It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  chances  of  suc- 
cess in  mercantile  business  are  even  far  less  than  this. 
"  D.  H."  may  be  a  capital  book-keeper,  yet  it  is  doubtful 
if  he  has  the  necessary  endurance  to  stand  the  wear  on 
the  constitution  that  market  gardening  involves.  If  he 
concludes  to  start  at  gardening,  he  is  more  likely  than 
not  to  select  a  soil  entirely  un^uited  to  the  purpose.  In 
most  sections  of  the  country  there  are  fewer  soils  suitable 
for  the  cultivation  of  vegetables  than  there  are  those  that 
are  unsuitable.  Again,  he  is  an  educated  man,  and  this 
very  fact  would  be  rather  against  him  than  otherwise ;  as 
it  would  naturally  incline  him  to  refined  society  and  asso^ 
ciations,  which  I  am  sorry  to  say  the  beginner  in  market 
gardening  can  not  possibly  afford  to  indulge  in.  The 
hiring  of  an  "experienced  gardener"  would  take  all  the 


12  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

cream  off  of  the  profits ;  experienced  market  gardeners 
are  exceedingly  scarce ;  our  laborers  in  the  market  gar- 
dens are  generally  an  ignorant  class,  with  very  little 
ambition,  and  not  one  in  a  hundred  of  them  is  fit  to 
manage.  Though  employing  forty  hands  myself,  I  have 
often  been  sadly  at  a  loss  to  select  from  them  a  suitable 
man  as  foreman,  though  many  of  them  had  been  with  me 
for  years.  When  one  shows  the  necessary  ability,  his 
services  are  much  sought  after,  and  he  readily  commands 
$500  or  1600  a  year  and  board.  Clerks,  book-keepers, 
and  city-bred  men  generally,  are  not  the  ones  likely  to  be 
successful  as  workers  of  the  soil;  few  of  them  have  any 
conception  of  the  labor  required  to  be  done  to  insure  suc- 
cess. I  started  business  in  Jersey  City  at  the  age  of 
23,  with  a  capital  of  $500,  which  it  had  taken  me  three 
years  to  make  as  a  working  gardener.  For  the  first  five 
years  I  was  in  business,  I  can  safely  say  that  we  worked,, 
on  an  average,  sixteen  hours  a  day,  winter  and  summer, 
with  rarely  a  day  for,  recreation.  Now  the  majority  of 
clerks,  book-keepers,  or  salesmen  do  not  work  much  more 
than  half  that  time,  and  few  of  them  could  endure  this 
lengthened  strain  in  a  summer's  sun,  and  without  this 
endurance  success  is  out  ef  the  question;  for  all  begin- 
ners to-day  must  do  as  I  did  until  they  get  their  heads 
above  water,  or  else,  such  is  the  competition,  they  must 
go  to  the  wall  in  the  business ;  I  therefore  caution  all  such 
who  are  not  in  robust  health,  to  avoid  either  farming  or 
gardening,  if  their  necessities  require  them  to  make  a 
living  thereby.  That  the  work  of  the  gardener  is  con- 
ducive to  health  when  that  has  not  been  impaired,  there 
is  no  question ;  but  the  long  hours  of  labor  and  the  ex- 


MEN    FITTED   FOE    THE    BUSINESS.  13 

posure  necessary  to  success   must   tell   against  a  feeble 
constitution. 

The  business  of  market  gardening,  though  pleasant, 
healthful,  and  profitable,  is  a  laborious  one,  from  which 
any  one,  not  accustomed  to  manual  labor,  would  quickly 
shrink.  The  labor  is  not  what  may  be  termed  heavy,  but 
the  hours  are  long ;  not  less  than  an  average  of  12  hours 
a  day,  winter  and  summer.  No  one  should  begin  it  after 
passing  the  meridian  of  life ;  neither  is  it  fitted  for  men  of 
weak  or  feeble  physical  organization,  for  it  is  emphatically 
a  business  in  which  one  has  to  rough  it ;  in  summer  plant- 
ing, when  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  get  the  plants 
in  when  raining,  we  repeatedly  work  for  hours  in  drench- 
ing rains,  and  woe  be  to  the  "  boss,"  or  foreman,  who 
would  superintend  the  operation  under  the  protection  of 
an  umbrella ;  he  must  take  his  chances  with  the  rank  and 
file,  or  his  prestige,  as  a  commander,  is  gone. 


CHAPTER   H. 

THE   AMOUNT   OF   CAPITAL  REQUIRED,   AND 
WORKING   FORCE    PER    ACRE. 


The  small  amount  of  capital  required  to  begin  farming 
operations,  creates  great  misconception  of  what  is  neces- 
sary for  commercial  gardening;  for,  judging  from  the 
small  number  of  acres  wanted  for  commencing  a  garden, 
many  suppose  that  a  few  hundred  dollars  is  all  sufficient 
for  a  market  gardener.  For  want  of  information  on  this 
subject,  hundreds  have  failed,  after  years  of  toil  and  priva- 
tion. At  present  prices,  (1874),  no  one  would  be  safe  to 
start  the  business  of  vegetable  market  gardening,  in  the 
manner  it  is  carried  on  in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York, 
with  a  capital  of  less  than  $300  per  acre,  for  anything  less 
than  ten  acres ;  if  on  a  larger  scale,  it  might  not  require 
quite  so  much.  The  first  season  rarely  pays  more  than 
current  expenses,  and  the  capital  of  $300  per  acre  is  all 
absorbed  in  horses,  wagons,  glass,  manures,  etc.  If  the 
capital  be  insufficient  to  procure  these  properly,  the 
chance  of  success  is  correspondingly  diminished. 

I  can  call  to  mind  at  least  a  dozen  cases  that  have  occur- 
14 


AMOUNT   OF  CAPITAL  REQUIRED.  15 

r«,l  in  my  immediate  neighborhood  within  the  last  five 
years,  where  steady  industrious  men  have  utterly  failed, 
and  lost  every  dollar  they  possessed,  merely  by  attempt- 
ing the  business  with  insufficient  capital.  A  few  years 
ago,  a  man  called  upon  me  and  stated  that  he  was  about 
to  become  my  neighbor,  that  he  had  leased  a  place  of 
twenty  acres  alongside  of  mine  for  ten  years,  for  $600  per 
year,  for  the  purpose  of  growing  vegetables,  and  asked 
me  what  I  thought  of  his  bargain.  I  replied  that  the 
place  was  cheap  enough,  only  I  was  afraid  he  had  got  too 
much  land  for  that  purpose,  if  he  attempted  the  working 
of  it  all.  I  further  asked  him  what  amount  of  capital  he 
had,  and  he  told  me  that  he  had  about  $1000.  I  said  that 
I  was  sorry  to  discourage  him,  but  that  it  was  better  for 
him  to  know  that  the  amount  was  entirely  inadequate  to 
begin  with,  and  that  there  was  not  one  chance  in  fifty  that 
he  would  succeed,  and  that  it  would  be  better,  even  then, 
to  relinquish  the  attempt ;  but  he  had  paid  $150  for  a 
quarter's  rent  in  advance,  and  could  not  be  persuaded  from 
making  the  attempt.  The  result  was  as  I  expected;  he  be- 
gan operations  in  March,  his  little  capital  was  almost  swal- 
lowed up  in  the  first  two  months,  and  the  few  crops  he  had 
put  in  were  so  inferior,  that  they  were  hardly  worth  send- 
ing to  market.  Without  money  to  pay  for  help,  his  place 
got  enveloped  hi  weeds,  and  by  September  of  the  same 
year,  he  abandoned  the  undertaking. 

Had  the  same  amount  of  capital  and  the  same  energy 
been  expended  on  three  or  four  acres,  there  is  hardly  a 
doubt  that  success  would  have  followed.  Those  who  wish 
to  live  by  gardening,  cannot  be  too  often  told  the  danger 
of  spreading  over  too  large  an  area,  more  particularly  in 


16  GABDENING  FOE   PROFIT. 

starting.  With  a  small  capital,  two  or  three  acres  may 
be  profitably  worked ;  while  if  ten  or  twelve  were  at- 
tempted with  the  same  amount,  it  would  most  likely  re- 
sult in  failure.  Many  would  suppose,  that  if  three  acres 
could  be  leased  for  $100  per  year,  that  twenty  acres  would 
be  cheaper  at  $500 ;  nothing  can  be  more  erroneous,  un- 
less the  enterprise  be  backed  up  with  the  necessary  capi- 
tal— $300  per  acre.  For  be  it  known,  that  the  rental  or 
interest  on  the  ground  used  for  gardening  operations  is 
usually  only  about  10  per  cent,  of  the  working  expenses, 
so  that  an  apparently  cheap  rent,  or  cheap  purchase,  does 
not  very  materially  affect  the  result.  It  is  very  different 
from  farming  operations,  where  often  the  rent  or  interest 
on  purchase  money  amounts  to  nearly  half  the  expenses. 

The  number  of  men  employed  throughout  the  year  on 
a  market  garden  of  ten  acres,  within  three  miles  of  mar- 
ket, planted  in  close  crop,  averages  seven ;  this  number  is 
varied  in  proportion,  somewhat,  according  to  the  quantity 
of  glass  in  use.  I  have  generally  employed  more  than 
that ;  fully  a  man  to  an  acre,  but  that  was  in  consequence 
of  having  in  use  more  than  the  ordinary  proportion  of 
sashes.  This  may  seem  to  many  an  unnecessary  force  for 
such  a  small  area ;  but  all  our  experience  proves,  that  any 
attempt  to  work  with  less,  will  be  unprofitable.  What 
with  the  large  quantity  of  manure  indispensable,  75  tons 
per  acre ;  the  close  planting  of  the  crops,  so  that  every 
foot  will  tell ;  the  immense  handling  preparatory  for  mar- 
ket,  to  be  done  on  a  double  crop  each  season,  one  market- 
ed in  mid-summer,  another  in  fall  and  winter,  a  large  and 
continued  amount  of  labor  is  required.  On  lands  within 
a  short  distance  of  market — say  two  miles — two  horsea 


AMOUNT   OP  CAPITAL  REQUIRED.  17 

are  sufficient ;  but  when  double  that  distance,  three  are 
necessary.  When  three  animals  are  required,  it  is  most 
profitable  to  use  a  team  of  mules  to  do  the  plowing  and 
heavy  hauling  of  manure,  etc.,  and  do  the  marketing  by  a 
strong  active  horse.  Every  operation  in  cultivating  the 
ground  is  done  by  horse  labor,  whenever  practicable  to  do 
so ;  but  it  liiust  be  remembered  that  the  crops  of  a  garden 
are  very  different  from  those  of  a  farm ;  the  land  is  in 
most  cases  (particularly  for  the  first  crops)  planted  so 
close,  that  nothing  will  do  to  work  with  but  the  hoe. 


CHAPTER   HI. 

PROFITS    OF    MARKET    GARDENING. 


This  is  rather  a  difficult  if  not  a  delicate  matter  to  touch, 
as  the  profits  are  so  large,  in  some  instances,  as  almost  to 
exceed  belief,  and  so  trifling,  under  other  conditions,  as 
hardly  to  be  worth  naming.  These  latter  conditions,  how- 
ever, are  generally  where  men  have  started  on  unsuitable 
soils,  too  far  from  market,  or  without  money  enough  to 
have  ever  got  thoroughly  under  way.  But  as  the  object 
of  this  work  is  to  endeavor  to  show  how  the  business  can 
be  made  a  profitable  one,  I  will  endeavor  to  approximate 
to  our  average  profits  per  acre.  As  a  rule,  it  may  be 
premised  that  for  every  additional  acre  over  ten,  the  prof- 
its per  acre  will  to  some  extent  diminish,  from  the  fact 
that  a  larger  area  cannot  be  so  thoroughly  worked  as  a 
smaller  one ;  besides  there  will  often  be  a  loss  in  price  by 
having  to  crowd  larger  quantities  of  produce  into  market, 
and  to  leave  it  in  the  hands  of  inexperienced  salesmen  • 
the  majority  of  our  products  are  quickly  perishable,  ant 
must  be  sold  when  ready. 

The  average  profits  for  the  past  fifteen  years  on  all  well 

cultivated  market  gardens  in  this  vicinity,  has  certainly 

not  been  less  than  $300  per  acre.    For  the  past  five  years, 

(from  1861  to  1866),  they  have  been  perhaps  one-third 

18 


PROFITS    OF  MARKET   GARDENING.  19 

more ;  but  these  were  years  of  "  war  prices,"  such  as  we 
will  be  well  content  never  to  see  again.  These  profits  are 
for  the  products  of  the  open  gardens  only,  not  of  the 
frames  or  forcing  pits,  which  are  alluded  to  elsewhere. 
These  amounts  are  for  the  neighborhood  of  New  York, 
which  I  think,  from  the  vast  competition  in  business,  is 
likely  to  be  a  low  average  for  the  majority  of  towns  and 
cities  throughout  the  country.  Certain  it  is,  that  from 
our  lands,  even  at  a  value  of  from  $1000  to  $5000  per  acre, 
we  can  and  do  profitably  grow  and  supply  the  majority 
of  towns  within  fifty  miles  around  New  York  with  fresh 
vegetables.  In  these  cases,  no  doubt,  the  consumer  pays 
full  double  the  price  that  the  raiser  receives,  for  they 
generally  pass  through  the  hands  of  two  classes  of  "  mid- 
dle-men," before  they  reach  the  consumer ;  besides  which 
there  are  extra  charges  for  packing,  shipping,  and  freight. 
Thus  the  consumer,  in  a  country  town,  where  land  often 
is  not  as  much  in  value  per  acre  as  it  is  here  per  lot, 
pays  twice  the  value  for  his  partially  stale  vegetables  or 
fruits,  which  he  receives  rarely  sooner  than  twenty-four 
hours  after  they  are  gathered. 

In  most  of  such  towns,  market  gardening,  carried  on 
after  our  manner,  would,  unquestionably,  be  highly  remu- 
nerative ;  for  if  these  articles  were  offered  to  the  consumer 
fresh  from  the  gardens,  he  would  certainly  be  willing  to 
pay  more  for  his  home-grown  products,  than  from  the  brui* 
ed  and  battered  ones  that  are  freighted  from  the  metropo- 
lis. Take  for  example  the  article  of  Celery,  which  pays  us 
rery  well  at  2  cents  per  root.  There  is  hardly  a  city  or 
town  in  the  country,  except  New  York,  but  where  it  sella 
for  twice,  and  in  some  cases  six  tunes,  that  price  per  root ; 


20  GARDENING  FOE  PEOFIT. 

yet  the  great  bulk  of  this  article  sold  in  Philadelphia,  ia 
sent  from  "New  York,  for  which  the  consumer  must  pay  at 
least  double  the  price  paid  here,  for  it  is  a  bulky  and  ex- 
pensive article  to  pack  and  ship,  and  must  of  a  necessity 
pay  a  profit,  both  to  the  agent  here  and  in  Philadelphia, 
which  of  course  comes  out  of  the  pocket  of  the  consumer. 
This  is  only  one  of  many  such  articles  of  which  the  cul- 
ture is  imperfectly  understood,  and  which  the  great  mar- 
ket  of  New  York  is  looked  to  for  a  supply. 

The  following  will  show  the  rate  of  receipts  and  ex- 
penditures for  one  acre  of  a  few  of  the  leading  articles  we 
cultivate,  taking  the  average  of  the  past  ten  years,  from 
the  grounds  that  have  been  brought  up  to  the  proper 
standard  of  fertility  necessary  to  the  market  garden. 

EXPENDITURES  FOB  ONE  ACRE. 

Labor $300 

Horse-labor 35 

Manure,  75  tons 100 

Rent 50 

Seeds 10 

Wear  and  Tear  of  Tools,  etc 10 

Cost  of  Selling 100 

$605 
RECEIPTS  FOB  ONE  ACRE. 

12,000  Early  Cabbages,  at  5  cts.  per  head $600 

14,000  Lettuce,  at  1  cent  per  head 140 

80,000  Celery,  at  2  cts.  per  head 600 

$1340 
605 

$735 

The  rotation  crops  of  Early  Beets,  or  Onions,  followed 
by  Horseradish,  or  Sweet  Herbs,  as  a  second  crop,  give 
Dearly  the  same  results. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  MARKET  GARDENS  NEAR  LONDON. 


For  years  I  have  been  anxious  to  see  and  compare  the 
market  gardens  of  London  with  those  of  New  York,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1872  I  had  an  opportunity  to  do  so. 

The  extent  and  thorough  culture  of  these  gardens  is 
something  wonderful.  One  of  the  best  I  saw  was  in  the 
vicinity  of  Tottenham,  owned  by  a  Mr.  Hollington.  It 
comprised  about  a  hundred  acres,  every  foot  of  which 
was  planted  in  close  crop,  and,  as  far  as  could  be  seen,  it 
would  have  been  difficult  to  have  picked  up  a  bushel  of 
weeds  on  the  whole  of  the  hundred  acres.  Mr.  Holling- 
ton's  success  in  twenty  years  equals,  if  it  does  not  sur- 
pass, any  of  which  we  have  record  in  America.  When 
he  took  possession  of  these  hundred  acres,  twenty  years 
ago,  he  did  so  at  a  nominal  rent,  but  without  a  lease, 
with  the  condition,  however  (a  very  unfortunate  one  for 
the  owner),  that  the  owner  might  enter  upon  possession 
at  any  tune  by  paying  him  the  value  of  the  crop  upon  it. 
Mr.  H.,  a  man  of  great  energy  and  shrewdness,  at  once 
saw  his  advantage,  and  took  care  that  his  grounds  should 
at  all  seasons  be  cropped  to  the  fullest  extent,  a  thing 
which  can  be  better  done  in  England  than  with  us.  The 
result  was  that  when  the  owner  one  day  took  it  into  his 
head  to  take  possession,  he  discovered  that  he  would 
have  to  pay  more  for  the  crop  than  the  land  was  worth, 
and  there  was  nothing  for  him  to  do  but  to  sell  to  the 
tenant,  or  go  on  receiving  the  nominal  sum  for  rent. 
21 


22  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

The  result  was  that  Mr.  H.  bought  the  land,  and  is  now 
perhaps  the  wealthiest  market  gardener  around  London. 

The  next  grounds  I  visited  were  those  of  George  Steele 
&  Sons,  of  Fulham,  a  point  nearer  to  the  city.  These 
grounds  were  also  a  model  of  order  and  neatness,  although 
a  week  previous  three-fourths  of  the  workmen  had  struck 
for  higher  wages,  and  had  gone  to  hay-making,  leaving 
the  owners  in  a  bad  plight.  The  garden -comprised  fifty 
acres,  and  the  full  number  of  hands  was  seventy-five. 
Now  there  were  less  than  twenty,  and  these  second-rate. 

Why,  it  may  be  asked,  does  it  require  seventy-five 
men  for  fifty  acres  ?  Simply  because  John  Bull  will  not 
believe  that  land  can  be  better  dug  with  a  plow  and  har- 
row than  with  a  spade.  I  took  some  time  to  argue  the 
point  with  Mr.  Steele,  and  he  declared  that  the  morrow 
would  see  for  the  first  time  a  plow  in  the  market  gardens 
of  Fulham.  Once  there,  it  will  remain,  for  there  is  no 
one  who  has  had  practice  with  both  methods  but  knows 
that  no  digging  with  a  spade  or  fork  can  bring  the  soil 
to  the  mellow  condition  that  the  plow  and  harrow  can. 
Upon  grounds  of  the  extent  of  Mr.  Steele's  the  use  of  the 
plow  will  save  full  one-third  of  the  labor. 

Here,  too,  and  at  Mr.  Hollington's,  they  were  using 
another  very  primitive  tool,  which  I  did  not  venture  to 
say  anything  about,  for  I  thought  I  had  trodden  hard 
enough  on  John's  conservative  toes  for  one  day.  The 
tool  in  question  was  a  planting-stick  made  out  of  a  spade- 
handle,  just  such  as  was  in  use  thirty  years  ago  by  the 
cottagers  of  England  or  Scotland  to  set  out  a  few  dozen 
Cabbage  or  Lettuce  plants  for  their  own  use.  Yet  here, 
where  millions  on  millions  of  plants  had  to  be  set  out,  no 


THE  MARKET  GARDENS  NEAR  LONDON.        23 

better  implement  had  been  thought  of.  The  spade-handle 
dibber,  even  in  the  most  experienced  hands,  is  a  waggling 
implement,  and  is  hardly  more  to  be  compared  in  effective- 
ness to  the  pistol-handled  dibber  in  use  by  the  gardeners 
of  New  York  than  a  sickle  is  to  a  cradle  in  a  wheat-field. 
I  found  one  practice  in  Messrs.  Steele's  grounds  which 
our  market  gardeners  might  imitate  with  profit.  The 
practice  is  a  very  old  one,  and  has  been  in  use  probably 
for  fifty  years,  but  it  is  not  much  followed,  if  at  all, 
by  market  gardeners  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia, or  Boston,  where  its  advantages  would  be  even 
greater  than  those  around  London.  It  is  the  use  of  the 
common  hand-glass,  of  a  size  about  two  feet  on  the  side. 
These  would  cost  with  us  probably  75  cents  or  $1  each. 
Messrs.  Steele  use  these  glasses  in  large  numbers  to  for- 
ward Cauliflower  for  heading.  They  are  placed  at  dis- 
tances of  two  feet  apart,  and  three  plants  of  Cauliflower 
are  planted  under  each.  The  hand-glasses  are  tilted  up 
for  ventilation  in  sunny  weather — used,  in  fact,  just  as 
we  use  a  hot-bed  or  cold-frame,  and  the  Cauliflowers  are 
forwarded  probably  two  weeks  earlier  than  they  would 
be  in  the  open  ground.  Of  course  there  is  not  room 
under  the  glasses  for  the  three  plants  of  Cauliflower  to 
form  their  heads  there,  but  the  object  is  to  forward  them 
so  that  they  will  be  large  enough  to  head  in  the  open 
ground  when  the  glasses  are  taken  off — a  most  important 
matter  with  us,  as  we  find  the  trouble  always  is  that  we 
can  not  get  the  Cauliflowers  large  enough  until  they  are 
checked  by  our  hot  and  dry  weather  in  June.  Thus  for- 
warded in  New  York,  I  think  it  safe  to  say  they  would 
readily  bring  $1.50  for  each  hand-glass. 


CHAPTER  V. 

LOCATION,  SITUATION,  AND  LAYING  OUT. 


LOCATION. — Before  deciding  on  the  spot  for  a  garden, 
U,^  much  caution  cannot  be  used  in  selecting  the  locality ; 
mistakes  in  this  matter  are  often  the  sole  cause  of  want 
of  success,  even  when  all  other  conditions  are  favorable. 
It  is  always  better  to  pay  a  rent  or  interest  of  $50  or  even 
$100  per  acre  on  land  one  or  two  miles  from  market,  than 
to  take  the  same  quality  of  land,  6  or  7  miles  distant,  for 
nothing ;  for  the  extra  expense  of  teaming,  procuring  ma- 
nure, and  often  greater  difficulty  in  obtaining  labor,  far 
more  than  counterbalance  the  difference  in  the  rental  of  the 
land.  Another  great  object  in  being  near  the  market  is, 
that  one  can  thereby  take  advantage  of  the  condition  of 
prices,  which  often,  in  perishable  commodities  like  garden 
produce,  is  very  variable.  It  not  unfrequently  happens  that 
from  scarcity  or  an  unusual  demand,  there  wifl  be  a  differ- 
ence of  $25  or  $30  per  load,  even  in  one  day,  hence  if  near 
a  market,  larger  quantities  can  be  thrown  in  than  if  at  a 
distance.,  and  the  advantage  of  higher  rates  be  taken. 

This  disadvantage  in  distance  only  holds  good  in  perislv 
24 


LOCATION,    SITUATION,    AND   LAYING    OUT.  25 

able  articles,  that  are  bulky;  the  lighter  and  valuable 
crops,  such  as  Tomatoes,  Cucumbers,  Lettuce,  Radishes, 
etc.,  from  more  southerly  and  earlier  localities,  are  grown 
often  hundreds  of  miles  distant,  and  freighted  to  market 
at  a  handsome  profit.  So  with  less  perishable  articles,  such 
as  dry  roots  of  Carrots,  Beets,  Parsnips,  Horseradish,  etc. ; 
but  the  necessity  of  nearness  to  market  for  the  bulky  and 
perishable  crops,  is  imperative. 

SITUATION  AND  LAYING-OUT. — It  is  not  always  that 
choice  can  be  made  in  the  situation  of  or  aspect  of  the 
ground ;  but  whenever  it  can  be  made,  a  level  spot  should 
be  selected,  but  if  there  be  any  slope,  let  it  be  to  the  south. 
Shelter  is  of  great  importance  in  producing  early  crops, 
and  if  a  position  can  be  got  where  the  wind  is -broken  off 
by  woods  or  hills,  to  the  north,  or  northwest,  such  a  situa- 
tion would  be  very  desir- 
able. In  the  absence  of 
this,  we  find  it  necessary 
to  protect,  at  least  our  forc- 
ing and  framing  grounds, 
with  high  board  fences,  or 
better  yet,  belts  of  Norway 
Spruce.  The  most  conve- 
nient shape  of  the  garden 
is  a  square  or  oblong  form ; 

Fig.    1.-FLAN   OF   GROUND,  jf     square)     Q.     rOad    12     feet 

wide   should  be  made   through  the  centre,  intersected 
by  another  road  of  similar  width,  see  (fig.  1) ;  but  if  ob- 
long, one  road  of  the  same  width,  running  through  the 
centre  in  a  plot  of  ten  acres,  will  be  sufficient. 
VEGETABLE  HOUSE,  WELLS,  ETC. — Connected  with  ev- 


26  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

eiy  market  garden  is  a  vegetable  house,  usually  about  25 
feet  square,  having  a  frost-proof  cellar,  over  which  is  the 
vegetable  or  washing  house.  In  the  second  story  is  a  loft 
for  seeds,  storage,  etc.  Immediately  outside  the  vegeta- 
ble house  is  the  well,  from  which  the  water  is  pumped  to 
a  tub  in  one  corner  of  the  building,  on  each  side  of  which 
are  erected  benches  of  convenient  hight  on  which  the 
workmen  tie  and  wash  the  vegetables  preparatory  to 
sending  them  to  market. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SOILS,    DRAINAGE,    AND    PREPARATION. 


In  the  course  of  an  experience  of  nearly  twenty  years  as  a 
market  gardener,  in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York,  I  have 
had,  in  the  prosecution  of  the  business,  the  opportunity 
of  reclaiming  large  tracts  of  very  different  varieties  of  soil. 
Some  of  these,  almost  the  first  season,  yielded  a  handsome 
profit,  while  with  others,  the  labor  of  years,  and  the  ex- 
penditure of  large  sums  in  extra  manuring  and  draining, 
have  never  been  able  to  bring  these  uncongenial  soils  up 
to  the  proper  standard  of  productiveness. 

On  many  occasions  I  have  referred  to  the  great  impor- 
tance of  selecting  a  proper  quality  of  soil  for  all  garden- 
ing and  farming  operations,  and  the  fact  cannot  be  too 
often  nor  too  forcibly  impressed  that  success  hinges  more 


SOILS,    DRAINAGE,    AND    PREPARATION.  27 

directly  upon  this  than  on  anything  else.  Thousands  are 
every  year  ruined  by  a  bad  selectidn  of  soil  I  have 
scores  come  to  me  in  the  course  of  every  season  for  advice 
in  this  matter  of  soils,  but  in  most  instances  the  advice  is 
asked  too  late ;  the  majority  of  the  applicants  having  been 
unfortunate  enough  to  buy  or  rent  land  that  they  had 
been  led  to  believe  was  excellent,  but  only  "  run  down." 
In  my  opinion  this  wide-spread  notion  of  "  exhausted 
lands "  is,  to  a  great  extent,  a  fallacy,  and  that  most  of 
the  lands  said  to  be  so  exhausted  never  were  good,  and  no 
power  on  earth  short  of  spreading  a  good  soil  over  them 
a  foot  thick,  would  ever  make  them  good. 

The  practical  test  of  the  importance  of  a  good  soil  for 
market  garden  operations  is  clearly  shown  in  a  score  of 
cases  in  my  vicinity.  Wherever  a  man  of  ordinary  indus- 
try and  intelligence  has  been  fortunate  enough  to  locate  on 
land  that  is  naturally  good  his  success  has  been  certain, 
while  others  that  have  not  been  able  to  procure  such  laud 
have  had  to  struggle  far  harder  for  less  returns ;  in  some 
few  instances  entire  failure  has  been  the  case,  for  the  rea- 
son that  the  soil  started  on  was  unfitted  for  the  purpose. 

The  variety  of  soil  that  we  value  above  all  others,  is  an 
alluvial  saline  deposit,  rarely  found  over  more  than  a  mile 
inland  from  the  tide  mark.  It  is  of  dark  heavy  loam,  con- 
taining, throughout,  a  large  mixture  of  decomposing  oyster 
and  other  shells ;  it  averages  from  10  to  30  inches  deep, 
overlaying  a  subsoil  of  yellow  sandy  loam.  The  next 
best  variety  is  somewhat  lighter  soil,  both  in  color  and 
specific  gravity,  from  8  to  15  inches  deep,  having  a  similar 
subsoil  to  the  above.  Then  we  have  a  still  lighter  soil,  in 
both  senses  of  the  term,  in  which  the  sand  predominates 


28  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

over  the  loam,  and  laying  on  a  subsoil  of  pure  sand ;  this 
variety  of  soil  is  well  adapted  for  Melons,  Cucumbers, 
Sweet  Potatoes,  Radishes,  and  Tomatoes,  but  is  almost 
useless  for  growing  crops  of  Onions,  Cabbages,  or  Celery. 
We  have  still  another  kind  of  soil,  which  I  place  last,  as 
being  of  the  least  value  for  the  purpose  of  growing  vege- 
tables ;  this  variety,  singularly  enough,  is  found  on  the 
highest  points  only,  its  color  is  somewhat  lighter  than  the 
variety  first  mentioned ;  it  is  what  is  termed  a  clayey  loam, 
averaging  ten  inches  in  depth,  under  which  is  a  thick  stra- 
tum of  stiff  bluish  clay.  "With  a  subsoil  of  this  nature,  it 
is  almost  useless  to  attempt  to  grow  early  vegetables  for 
market  purposes. 

I  have  just  such  a  soil,  as  the  last  mentioned,  thoroughly 
drained  three  feet  deep,  the  drains  only  18  feet  apart,  and 
yet,  in  another  garden,  that  I  work,  having  the  two  first 
named  soils  and  only  one  mile  distant,  manured  and  culti- 
vated the  same  in  all  respects,  fruits  and  vegetables  are 
ready  from  5  to  10  days  earlier.  But  for  the  succession, 
or  second  crops,  such  as  Celery,  etc.,  this  stiff  cold  soil 
is  just  what  is  wanted ;  earliness  with  these  is  not  the  ob- 
ject, and  its  "  coldness "  is  congenial  to  the  roots  of  the 
late  crop.  But  if  selection  can  be  made  for  general  pur- 
poses, choose  a  rather  dark-colored  loam  soil,  neither 
"  sandy  "  nor  "  clayey,"  as  deep  as  can  be  found,  but  not 
less  than  12  inches.  If  it  overlay  a  sandy  loam  of  yellow- 
ish color,  through  which  water  will  pass  freely,  you  have 
Btruck  the  right  spot,  and  abundant  crops  can  be  raised 
under  proper  management.  When  selecting  land,  do  not 
be  deceived  by  any  one  who  tells  you,  that  if  not  natur- 
ally good,  the  soil  may  be  made  so  by  cultivation  and 


SOILS,    DKAIHAGE,    AND    PBEPAKATION.  29 

manure.  These  will  help,  certainly,  but  only  as  education 
improves  the  shallow  mind.  Luxuriant  crops  can  no  more 
be  expected  from  a  thin  and  poor  soil — no  matter  how 
much  it  is  cultivated — than  fertile  ideas  from  a  shallow 
brain,  educate  it  as  you  will. 

DBAINAGE. — Every  operator  in  the  soil  concedes  the 
importance  of  drainage,  yet  it  is  really  astonishing  to  ob- 
serve how  men  will  work  wet  lands  year  after  year,  wast- 
ing annually,  by  loss  of  crops,  twice  the  amount  required 
to  thoroughly  drain.  A  most  industrious  German,  in  this 
vicinity,  cultivated  about  8  acres  for  3  years,  barely  mak- 
ing a  living ;  his  soil  was  an  excellent  loam,  but  two-thirds 
of  it  was  so  "  spongy,"  that  he  could  never  get  it  plowed 
until  all  his  neighbors  had  their  crops  planted.  Driving 
past  one  day,  I  hailed  him,  asking  him  why  he  was  so  late 
in  getting  in  his  crop,  when  he  explained  that  if  he  had 
begun  sooner,  his  horses  would  have  "  bogged "  so,  he 
/night  never  have  got  them  out  again.  I  suggested  drain- 
ing, but  he  replied  that  would  never  pay  on  a  leased  place ; 
he  had  started  on  a  ten  years  lease,  which  had  only  7 
years  more  to  run,  and  that  he  would  only  being  improv- 
ing it  for  his  landlord,  who  would  allow  him  nothing  for 
such  improvement.  After  some  further  conversation  I 
asked  him  to  jump  into  my  wagon,  and  in  10  minutes  we 
alighted  at  a  market  garden,  that  had  6  years  before  been 
just  such  a  swamp  hole  as  his  own,  but  now,  (the  middle 
of  May),  was  luxuriant  with  vegetation.  I  explained  to 
him  what  its  former  condition  had  been,  and  that  the  in- 
vesting of  $500,  in  drain  tiles,  would,  in  12  months,  put  his 
in  the  same  condition.  He,  being  a  shrewd  man,  acted  on 
the  advice,  and  at  the  termination  of  his  lease,  purchased 


OU  GARDENING    FOB   PKOFIT. 

and  paid  for  his  8  acres  $12.000,  the  savings  of  six  years 
on  his  drained  garden.  I  honestly  believe,  that,  had  he 
gone  on  without  draining,  he  would  not  have  made  $1200 
in  12  years,  far  less  $12.000  in  6  years.  My  friend  esti- 
mates his  whole  success  in  life  to  our  accidental  meeting 
and  conversation  that  May  morning,  and  consequently 

1  have  no  stauncher  friend  on  earth  than  he. 

The  modes  of  draining  must  be  guided  to  a  great  ex- 
tent by  circumstances ;  wherever  stones  are  abundant  on 
land,  the  most  economical  way  to  dispose  of  them,  is  to 
use  them  for  drainage.  I  have  also  used  with  great  suc- 
cess, in  a  wet  sandy  subsoil,  where  digging  was  easily 
done,  brush,  from  adjacent  woods  cut  off,  and  trod  firmly 

2  feet  deep  in  the  bottom  of  drains  5  feet  deep,  overlaying 
the  brush  with  straw  or  meadow  hay  before  covering  in. 
Drains  so  made,  have  answered  well  for  nearly  a  dozen 
years,  and  in  situations  where  no  other  material  offers, 
they  will  at  least  answer  a  temporary  purpose.     But  un- 
questionably, when  at  all   attainable,  at   anything   like 
reasonable  cost,  the  cheapest  and  most  thorough  draining 
is  by  tile.     We  use  here  the  ordinary  horse-shoe  tile ;  3- 
inch  size  for  the  laterals,  and  from  5  to  6  inch  for  the 
mains.    On  stiff  clayey  soils,  we  make  our  lateral  drains 

3  feet  deep,  and  from  15  to  18  feet  apart ;  on  soils  with 
less  compact  subsoils,  from  20  to  25  feet  distant.     We  find 
it  cheaper  to  use  the  horse-shoe  than  the  sole  tile ;  in  lieu 
of  the  sole  we  cut  common  hemlock  boards  in  4  pieces ; 
that  is,  cut  them  through  the  middle,  and  split  these  again, 
making  a  board,  thus  cut,  run  about  50  feet ;  these  are 
placed  in  the  bottom  of  the  drains,  and  prevent  the  sag- 
ging of  the  tiles  in  any  particular  spot  that  might  be  soft, 


SOILS,    DRAINAGE,    AM)    PREPARATION. 


31 


(fig.  2).     We  are  particularly  careful  to  place,  after  set- 
ting, a  piece  of  sod,  grass  down,  over  the  joinings  of  the 


Fig.  2. — HORSE-SHOE   TILE. 

tiles,  to  prevent  the  soil  from  getting  in  and  stopping  up 
the  drainage. 

The  manner  of  constructing  stone  drains,  is  governed 
by  the  character  of  the  stone  on  hand ;  if  round,  they  are 
best  made  as  rubble  drains,  (fig.  3) ;  but  if  flat,  which  is 
much  the  best,  they  are  made  as  represented  by  fig.  4. 


Fig.  8.— BUBBLE  DRAIN. 


Fig.  4.— PLAT   STONE  DRAIN. 


But  in  either  case,  the  same  care  must  be  exercised  in  cov- 
ering over  the  top,  thoroughly,  with  sod,  shavings,  straw, 
or  some  similar  material,  in  quantity  sufficient  to  prevent 
the  soil  from  washing  in  and  filling  up  the  cavity. 

PREPARATION  or  THE   GROUND.  —  Assuming  that   the 
ground  on  which  the  garden  is  to  be  formed  is  in  sod»  the 


32  GABDENING   FOK    PROFIT. 

best  time  to  begin  operations  is  in  September,  October,  or 
November.  If  draining  is  necessary,  that  should  be  fh-st 
completed.  Before  the  sod  is  plowed,  it  would  greatly 
assist  its  rotting,  if  horse  manure  can  be  obtained,  to  spread 
it  over  the  surface,  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  inches.  In 
plowing  the  sod  under,  care  should  be  taken  to  have  it  laid 
as  flat  as  possible ;  this  can  be  best  done  by  plowing  shal- 
low, and  at  this  time  there  is  no  particular  necessity  for 
deep  plowing.  After  plowing,  we  find  it  advantageous  to 
flatten  down  the  furrows,  by  running  over  with  the  back 
of  the  harrow ;  this  mellows  the  soil  so  that  it  fills  up  the 
crevices  left  between  the  furrows,  and  hastens  the  de- 
composition of  the  sod.  If  the  plowing  has  been  done 
early  enough  in  the  fall,  so  that  the  sod  has  had  time  to 
rot  the  same  season,  it  will  facilitate  the  operations  of 
next  spring  to  cross  plow  and  thoroughly  harrow ;  but  if 
too  late,  this  had  better  be  deferred  until  spring.  After 
the  ground  has  been  well  broken  up  by  this  second  plow- 
ing and  harrowing,  it  should  again  be  manured  over  the 
whole  surface  with  rough  stable  manure,  as  much  as  can 
well  be  procured ;  there  is  rarely  danger  of  getting  too 
much,  and  the  third  plowing  takes  place,  followed  this 
time  by  the  subsoiler.  I  have  always  found  it  best,  in 
breaking  in  new  ground,  to  crop  with  Potatoes,  Corn,  or 
late  Cabbages  the  first  season, — it  rarely  indeed  happens 
that  any  amount  of  labor  or  manuring  can  so  prepare  the 
ground,  the  first  season,  as  to  bring  it  to  that  high  degree 
of  tilth  necessary  for  growing  garden  vegetables  as  the} 
should  be  grown,  and  any  attempt  to  do  so,  will  result  in 
a  meagre  crop,  which  will  not  pay — at  least  in  such  dis 
tricts  as  New  York,  where  there  is  always  abundance  oi 


SOILS,    DRAINAGE,    AND   PREPARATION.  33 

products  of  the  first  quality.  It  must  not  be  expected 
that  the  crops  of  Potatoes,  etc.,  will  give  much  profit 
for  this  unusual  outlay  in  preparation  and  manure,  for 
they  certainly  will  not,  and  the  beginner  must  be  content 
to  wait  for  his  profits  until  the  second  season ;  these  are 
oertain  to  be  realized  if  these  preparations  have  been  prop- 
erly made,  hence  it  will  be  seen  the  necessity  for  capital  in 
this  business,  for  the  returns,  though  highly  remunerative, 
ire  not  quick. 


CHAPTER  VII 

MANURES. 


The  quantity,  quality,  and  proper  application  of  ma- 
nures, is  of  the  utmost  importance  in  all  gardening  opera- 
tions, and  few  have  any  conception  of  the  immense  quantity 
necessary  to  produce  the  heavy  crops  seen  in  our  market 
gardens.  Of  stable  or  barn-yard  manure,  from  50  to  100 
tons  per  acre  is  used,  and  prepared,  for  at  least  six  months 
previously,  by  thorough  turning  and  breaking  up  to  pre- 
vent its  heating  unduly.  The  usual  method  is  to  have  the 
manure-yard  formed  in  a  low  part  of  the  garden,  but  if 
there  is  no  natural  depression,  one  may  be  made  by  dig- 
ging out  from  18  to  24  inches  deep,  and  enclosing  it  by  a 
fence  about  6  feet  in  hight.  The  wagons  are  driven  along- 
side, and  the  green  manure  thrown  into  the  enclosure, 
care  being  taken  to  have  it  spread  regularly ;  hogs  are 
usually  kept  upon  the  manure  in  numbers  sufficient  to 
break  it  up,  they  being  fed  in  part  by  the  refuse  vege- 
tables and  weeds  of  the  garden. 

The  manure  of  horses  is  most  valued,  as  we  consider  it, 
weight  for  weight,  of  about  one-third  more  value  than  that 
of  cows  or  hogs ;  on  stiff  soils  it  is  of  much  more  benefit 
84 


MANURES.  35 

as  a  pulverizer.  There  are  many  articles,  the  refuse  of 
manufactures,  that  are  still  wasted,  that  have  great  value 
as  manures.  Among  others,  and  of  first  importance,  is 
the  refuse  hops  from  the  breweries.  It  is  a  dozen  years 
ago  since  they  first  began  to  be  used  in  our  gardens  about 
New  York;  at  first  they  were  to  be  had  almost  at 
every  brewery  without  cost,  but  the  demand  has  so  in- 
creased, that  the  price  to-day  ranges  even  higher  than  that 
of  the  best  stable  manure.  Aside  from  its  high  fertilizing 
properties,  it  is  excellent  for  breaking  up  and  pulverizing 
the  soil,  and  as  a  top-dressing  or  mulching,  either  to  pro- 
tect from  the  sun  in  summer,  or  from  the  frost  in  winter, 
it  has  no  equal.  From  my  experience  with  this  fertilizer, 
I  consider  it  to  be  of  nearly  double  the  value  of  that  of 
stable  manure.  It  requires  to  be  composted  in  the  same 
manner  as  other  manure ;  it  heats  rapidly,  and  must  be 
either  spread  regularly  over  the  hog  yard,  or  else  turned 
once  in  two  weeks  to  prevent  "  fire-fang,"  from  violent 
heating. 

Another  valuable  refuse  from  our  manufactories  is  the 
shavings  and  scrapings  from  horn,  or  whale-bone  manu- 
factories. The  best  way  to  render  these  most  available, 
is  to  compost  them  thoroughly  with  hot  manure,  in  the 
proportion  of  one  ton  of  shavings  to  fifteen  of  manure ; 
the  heated  manure  extracts  the  oil  from  the  shavings, 
which  is  intermingled  with  the  whole.  I  have  on  several 
occasions  seen  the  mixture  of  five  tons  of  whale-bone 
ehavings  with  our  ordinary  stable  manure,  make  $400  per 
acre  difference  in  the  value  of  the  crop ;  but  of  course 
such  manufactories  are  not  common,  and  it  is  only  in  oer» 
tain  localities  that  this  fertilizer  can  be  had. 


86  GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

Another  valuable  fertilizer  from  manufactories  is  "  sugar 
house  scum,"  which  is  composed  largely  of  blood,  char- 
coal, and  saccharine  refuse ;  as  it  heats  violently,  instead 
of  being  thrown  in  heaps  by  itself,  it  should  be  composted 
with  equal  quantities  of  soil  or  muck,  and  turned  frequent- 
ly, so  that  the  whole  is  thoroughly  mixed ;  thus  when 
composted,  it  makes  an  excellent  manure  at  twenty  tona 
per  acre ;  it  is  best  applied  by  lightly  plowing,  or  deeply 
harro  wing-in. 

Of  concentrated  manures,  perhaps  the  best  for  general 
purposes,  is  pure  Peruvian  guano ;  this  for  general  crops, 
when  used  without  the  addition  of  stable  manures,  is  put 
on  at  the  rate  of  from  1000  to  1200  pounds  per  acre ;  it  is 
first  pounded  to  powder  so  that  it  can  be  regularly  sown 
over  the  surface,  after  plowing ;  it  is  then  thoroughly  har- 
rowed in,  and  the  crop  is  sown  or  planted  at  once.  In  my 
experience,  the  next  best  concentrated  fertilizer  is  bone- 
dust,  or  flour  of  bone ;  in  experiments  last  season,  with 
our  crops  of  cauliflower  and  cabbage,  we  applied  it  in 
the  same  manner  as  guano,  but  at  the  rate  of  nearly  2000 
pounds  per  acre,  and  it  gave  most  satisfactory  results,  sur- 
passing those  of  guano,  where  that  had  been  used  at  the  rate 
of  1200  pounds  per  acre.  In  applying  manures  to  the 
soil,  we  have  long  ago  discovered  the  great  importance  of 
an  alternation  of  different  kinds ;  when  I  first  began  busi- 
ness as  a  market  gardener,  I  had  opportunities  of  getting 
large  quantities  of  night  soil  from  the  scavengers  of  Jersey 
City ;  this  was  mixed  with  stable  manure,  charcoal,  saw- 
dust, or  any  other  absorbent  most  convenient,  and  applied 
BO  mixed  at  the  rate  of  about  30  tons  per  acre.  The 
crops  raised  with  this  manure  were  enorp?ous,  for  two  or 


MANURES.  37 

three  years,  but  it  gradually  began  to  lose  effect,  and  in 
five  years  from  the  time  we  began  to  use  it,  it  required 
nearly  double  the  weight  of  this  compost  to  produce  even 
an  average  crop.  I  then  abandoned  the  use  of  night  soil 
and  applied  refuse  hops  instead,  at  the  rate  of  about  60 
tons  per  acre,  with  marked  improvement;  but  this  was 
for  the  first  and  second  years  only,  the  third  year  showing 
a  falling  off.  About  this  time  our  prejudices  against  the 
use  of  concentrated  manures  for  market  gardening  began 
to  give  way,  and  at  first  we  applied  guano  together  with 
manure  at  the  rate  of  300  pounds  per  acre,  which  we 
found  to  pay ;  and  the  next  season,  guano  was  used  at  the 
rate  of  1200  Ibs.  per  acre,  with  very  satisfactory  results. 
Since  then,  our  practice  has  been  a  systematic  alternation 
of  manures,  which  I  am  convinced  is  of  quite  as  much 
importance  to  the  production  of  uniform  crops  of  first 
quality,  as  is  the  alternation  of  varieties  of  the  different 
kinds  of  vegetables. 

It  is  a  grave  blunder  to  attempt  to  grow  vegetable 
crops,  without  the  use  of  manures  of  the  various  kinds  in 
about  the  proportions  I  have  named.  I  never  yet  saw  soil 
of  any  kind  that  had  borne  a  crop  of  vegetables  that 
would  produce  as  good  a  crop  the  next  season  without  the 
use  of  manure,  no  matter  how  "  rich "  the  soil  may  be 
thought  to  be.  An  illustration  of  this  came  under  my 
observation  last  season.  One  of  my  neighbors,  a  market 
gardener  of  nearly  twenty  years'  experience,  and  whose 
grounds  have  always  been  a  perfect  model  of  productive- 
ness, had  it  in  prospect  to  run  a  sixty-foot  street  through 
his  grounds ;  thinking  his  land  sufficiently  rich  to  carry 
through  a  crop  of  Cabbages,  without  manure,  he  thought 


88  GARDENING    FOK    PROFIT. 

it  useless  to  waste  money  by  using  guano  on  that  portion 
on  which  the  street  was  to  be,  but  on  each  side  sowed 
guano  at  the  rate  of  1200  pounds  per  acre,  and  planted 
the  whole  with  Early  Cabbages.  The  effect  was  the  most 
marked  I  ever  saw ;  that  portion  on  which  the  guano  had 
been  used  sold  off  readily  at  $12  per  hundred,  or  about 
$1400  per  acre,  both  price  and  crop  being  more  than  an 
average ;  but  the  portion  from  which  the  guano  had  been 
withheld,  hardly  averaged  $3  per  100.  The  street  occu- 
pied fully  an  acre  of  ground,  so  that  my  friend  actually  lost 
over  $1000  in  crop,  by  withholding  $60  for  manure.  An- 
other neighbor,  whose  lease  had  only  one  year  to  run,  and 
who  also  unwisely  concluded  that  it  would  be  foolish  to 
waste  manure  on  his  last  crop,  planted  and  sowed  all  with- 
out it ;  the  result  was,  as  his  experience  should  have  taught 
him,  a  crop  of  inferior  quality  in  every  article  grown,  and 
loss  on  his  eight  acres  of  probably  $2000  for  that  season. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

IMPLEMENTS. 


The  most  important  implements  in  use  in  the  vegetable 
garden  are  the  plow  and  harrow,  which  should  be  alwaya 
used,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  spade  or  digging  fork,  when- 
ever it  is  practicable  to  do  so.  No  digging,  in  the  ordi- 


Fig.  5.— ALLEN'S  CYLINDER  PLOW. 

nary  way,  can  pulverize  the  soil  so  thoroughly  as  can  be 
done  by  the  plow  and  harrow,  nor  no  trenching  much  sur- 
pass in  its  results  that  done  by  thorough  subsoiling.  Fig. 
5  represents  the  plow  in  use  by  the  market  gardeners,  and 
known  as  Allen's  Patent  Cylinder  Plow.  So  superior  are 
its  pulverizing  powers  to  those  of  the  spade,  that  we  know 
of  no  market  gardener  who  would  allow  his  grounds  to 
be  dug,  even  if  it  were  done  free  of  cost, 
39 


40  GARDENING    FOE   PROFIT. 

Miner's  Gold  Medal  Subsoil  Plow  (fig.  6)  is  the  best 
subsoil  plow  we  know  of.  It  involves  new  principles  and 
accomplishes  the  work  of  stirring,  loosening,  aerating,  and 


Fig.  6. — SUBSOIL  PLOW. 

draining  the  soil  beneath  the  furrow  of  the  common  plow, 
lifting  and  breaking  (but  not  turning)  the  subsoil  to  the 
depth  of  15  to  20  inches,  as  may  be  desired.  On  very  stiff 
soils  we  use  the  subsoiler  once  in  two  years ;  on  lighter 
soils  not  so  often,  although  if  time  would  always  permit 
there  is  no  doubt  but  that  it  would  be  beneficial  to  use  it 
whenever  plowing  is  done. 

The  harrow  in  use  is  rather  peculiar  in  style,  but  is  best 
suited  for  garden  work ; 
it  contains  some  forty 
teeth  about  10  inches 
long ;  these  are  driven 
through  the  wood- work, 
leaving  5  or  6  inches 
of  the  sharpened  end 

on  the  one  side  and  from  1£  to  2  inches  of  the  blunt  end 
on  the  other,  as  shown  in  fig.  7.  After  the  ground  has 


IMPLEMENTS. 


41 


been  thoroughly  pulverized  by  the  teeth  of  the  harrow,  it 
is  turned  upside  down,  and  "  backed,"  as  we  term  it ;  the 
short  blunt  teeth  further  breaking  up  the  soil  and  smooth- 
ing it  to  a  proper  condition  to  receive  the  seeds  or  plants. 
But  there  are  many  spots  in  the  gap 
den  that  it  is  impracticable  to  plow, 
such  as  our  frames,  borders,  and  oc- 
casionally between  rows  where  the 
space  is  too  narrow 
for  a  horse  to  walk;  _j^^~j 
such  places  must 
be  dug,  and  here 
we  use  the  Dig- 
ging Fork,  repre- 
sented by  fig.  8,  in 
preference  to  the 
spade.  Its  prongs 
enter  the  soil  more 
easily  than  the 
blade  of  the  spade, 

Fiff.  &— DIGGING  FORK,  and  by  striking  the 
soil  turned  over,  with  the  back  of  the 
fork,  it  pulverizes  it  better  than  can 
be  done  by  the  blade  of  the  spade. 

Still  there  are  many  operations  in  the 

„     Fig.  9. -AMES'  No.  3 
garden,  such   as   the   digging   up   01  SPADE. 

roots,  earthing  up  of  Celery,  etc.,  for  which  the  spade  is 
indispensable.  For  such  purposes,  the  one  represented 
by  fig.  9,  and  known  as  "  Ames'  No.  2,  Plain-back,"  we 
find  the  best. 


GAKDENING    FOK   PROFIT. 


For  stirring  between  narrow  rows  of  Cabbage,  Celery, 
etc.,  we  use  a  small  one-horse  plow  before  using  the  culti- 
vator ;  this  is  represented  by  fig.  10,  and  is  known  as  the 
Skeleton  Plow.  Following  this  is  our  main  implement 


Fig.     10.— SKELETON   PLOW. 

for  cultivating  between  rows,  which  is  simply  a  triangu- 
lar adjustable  Harrow,  represented  by  fig.  11.  This 
implement  we  prefer  to  any  variety  of  cultivators  we 
have  ever  used,  on  ground  where  there  are  no  weeds, 

(and  weeds  are  rarely  al- 
lowed to  grow  in  our 
market  ^gardens),  as  its 
teeth  sink  from  three  to 
four  inches  deep  if  kept 
sharpened ;  when  extra 

Fig.  H.-CULTIVATOB.  depth  is  wanted,  a  weight 

is  put  on  to  sink  it  deeper.  In  all  hoeing  operations  by 
hand,  the  steel  pronged  Hoe,  fig.  12,  is  used  in  prefer- 
ence to  the  old-fashioned  blade  hoe;  yet,  superior  as 
this  implement  is  to  the  blade  hoe,  it  is  not  more  than 


IMPLEMENTS. 


43 


12.— PRONGED  HOE. 
just    breaking 


six  years  ago  since  it  came  into  general  use.     A  man  can 

do  full  one-third  more  work  with  it, 

do  it  better,  and  with  greater  ease, 

than  with   the  blade  hoe ;  true,  it  is 

not  so  good   in  cutting  over  weeds, 

but   weeds   should   never  be  seen  in 

a  garden,  for  whether  for  pleasure   or 

profit,  it   is  short-sighted  economy  to 

delay  the  destruction  of  weeds  until 

they  start  to  grow.     One  man  will  hoe 

over,  in  one  day,  more  ground  where 

the    weeds    are 

through,  than  six  will,  if  they 
be  allowed  to  grow  six  or  eight 
inches  in  hight,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  the  injury  done  to  the 
ground  by  feeding  the  weeds  in- 
stead of  the  planted  crops.  An- 
other benefit  of  this  early  extir- 
pation of  weeds  is,  that  taken 
in  this  stage,  they  of  course  nev- 
er seed,  and  in  a  few  years  they 
are  almost  entirely  destroyed, 
making  the  clearing  a  much  sim- 
pler task  each  succeeding  yeac 
Another  tool  used  in  place  of 
the  hoe,  is  the  steel  Rake,  fig.  13, 
which  we  use  in  various  sizes, 
from  8  inches  to  20  inches  in 

width.     Nearly  all  our  first  "  hoeing  "  is  done  with  these ; 

that  is,  the  ground  is  raked  over  and  levelled  in  from  two 


Fig.  13.— STEEL  RAI 


44 


GARDENING   FOE    PEOFIT. 


to  three  days  after  planting ;  this  destroys  the  germs  of  the 
weeds ;  in  from  five  to  ten  days,  according  to  the  state  of 
,w,  the  weather,  the  ground  is  again  gone 
over  with  the  rakes.  We  are  no  believ- 
ers in  deep  hoeing  on  newly  planted  or 
sown  crops,  it  is  only  when  plants  begin 
to  grow  that  deep  hoeing  is  beneficial. 
For  using  between  narrow  rows  of 
crops,  just  starting  from  the  ground, 
the  push  or  Scuffle  Hoe,  (fig.  14),  is  a 
most  effective  tool ;  we  use  them  from  6 
to  12  inches  wide;  they  require  to  be 
always  about  3  inches  narrower  than 
the  rows ;  thus,  in  rows  9  inches  apart, 
we  use  the  6-inch  hoe. 

The  Clod  Crusher,  fig.  15,  an  imple- 
ment much  used  in  England,  is  of  great 
value  in  pulverizing  the  surface  of 
rough  heavy  soils,  following  after  the 
harrow;  on  light  soils,  that  pulverize 
sufficiently  with  the  harrow,  it  is  not  necessary. 


Fig.  14. — SCUFFLE 

HOE. 


Fig.  15. — CLOD   CRUSHER. 


IMPLEMENTS. 


45 


Another  indispensable  implement  is  the  Roller,  fig.  16 ; 
it  is  of  great  importance  not  only  in  breaking  lumpy  soil, 
but  in  firming  it  properly  around  newly  sown  seeds,  be- 
sides, the  ground  leveled  by  the  roller  is  much  easier  hoed 
than  if  the  surface  were  uneven  or  irregular.  The  roller 
we  use  is  made  of  hard 
wood,  and  is  5  or  6  feet 
long,  and  9  inches  in  diam- 
eter. The  roller  is  bored 
though  its  whole  length, 
and  through  this  hole  is  put 
a  bar  of  2-inch  round  iron. 
Fig.  ^.-GARDEN  BOILER.  TMS  bar  gives  the  neces- 
sary weight,  and  its  projecting  ends  afford  points  to 
which  to  attach  the  handle. 

The  Double  Marker,  fig.  17,  is  used  to  mark  6  or  8  lines 
at  once,  as  may  be  required ;  the  spaces  between  the  teeth 
being  12  inches  on  one 
side,  and  9  inches  on 
the  other.  Where  rows 
are  required  only  of 
these  widths,  every  row 
is  of  course  planted, 
but  many  of  our  crops  re- 
quire wider  rows,  thus,  FiS-  17--»<>UBLE  MARKER. 
with  Ihe  12-inch  marker,  we  plant  our  early  Cabbages  at 
24  inches  apart,  the  intervening  rows  being  planted  with 
Lettuce  at  the  same  time ;  or  with  the  narrow  side  of 
the  marker,  every  row,  9  inches  apart,  is  planted  with 
Onion  sets,  or  in  such  a  crop  as  Beets,  every  alternate 
row  only  is  used,  making  the  rows  18  inches  apart.  The 


46  GARDENING    FOH    PROFIT. 

manner  of  using  the  marker  will  readily  suggest  itself. 
A  line  being  stretched  tightly  to  the  required  length,  the 
outer  tooth  is  set  against  it  and  steadily  drawn  to  the  end, 
returning,  the  outer  row  forms  the  guide  for  the  marker, 
and  so  on  until  finished.  The  marker  is  usually  a  home- 
made implement,  of  wood,  but  it  answers  rather  better  to 
have  the  teeth  made  of  iron,  scooped,  something  like  a 
common  garden  trowel. 

The  Market  Wagon  (figure  18)  is  made  after  various 
patterns  in  different  sections  of  the  country ;  that  shown 


Fig.  18. — MARKET   WAGON. 

in  the  cut  is  the  kind  used  by  us,  and  is  usually  drawn 
by  one  horse,  it  is  strongly  made,  weighing  about  1400 
pounds,  and  is  capable  of  carrying  from  2000  to  3000 
pounds. 

The  Seed  Drill,  fig.  19,  next  page,  is  used  in  sowing  lai-go 
field  crops  of  Onions,  Carrots,  Turnips,  etc.,  and  can  be 
adjusted  to  suit  all  sizes  of  seeds.  It  is,  however,  more 
an  implement  of  the  farm  than  the  garden,  and  rarely 
used  in  small  market  gardens,  most  cultivators  deem-, 
ing  it  safer  to  sow  by  hand.  Sowing  by  hand  requires 
more  than  twice  the  quantity  of  seed  than  when  sown  by 
the  drill,  but  the  crops  of  our  market  gardens  are  too  im- 
portant to  run  any  risk  from  such  small  considerations  of 


IMPLEMENTS. 


47 


economy.     The  greater  risk  in  thinly  sown  crops  being 
from  destruction  by  insects,  frost,  or  the  thin  sowing  not 


Fig.  19.— PLANET   SEED  DRILL,   NO.   2. 

having  strength  enough  to  force  through  the  soil  in  dry 
weather. 

The  Dibber,  fig.  20,  is  a  very  simple  but  indispensable 
tool.  It  is  of  importance  to  have  it  made  in  the 
manner  represented  here ;  it  can  be  formed  from 
a  crooked  piece  of  any  hard  wood,  and  shod 
with  a  sharp  iron  point,  which  gives  weight  to 
it,  besides  it  always  keeps  sharp.  Dibbers  are 
too  often  made  from  an  old  spade  or  shovel 
handle,  when  they  are  awkward  and  unhandy 
affairs. 

Fig.  20.—  Planting  is  an  operation  that  often  requires 
DIBBEK.  the  most  rapid  movement  to  get  a  crop  in  at  the 
proper  time,  and  the  best  appliances  in  working  are  not  to 
be  disregarded.  With  a  dibber  of  this  style,  an  ex- 


48  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

perienced  planter,  with  a  boy  to  drop  the  plants,  as  we 
invariably  practise,  will  plant  from  6000  to  10,000  plants 
per  day,  according  to  the  kind  of  plant  or  condition  of 
the  ground.  I  have  on  many  occasions  planted,  in  one 
day,  three  acres  of  Celery,  holding  about  90,000  plants, 
with  ten  men,  each  of  whom  had  a  boy,  from  ten  to  four- 
teen years  of  age,  to  drop  the  plants  down  before  him. 
This  plan  of  using  boys  is  not  generally  adopted,  but  I 
have  repeatedly  proved  that,  by  thus  dividing  the  labor, 
a  boy  and  a  man  will  do  more  planting  than  two  men 
would  if  planting  singly,  and  each  carrying  his  own  plants. 


CHAPTER     IX. 

THE    USES    AND    MANAGEMENT    OF    COLD 
FRAMES. 


We  use  cold  frames  for  preserving  Cauliflower,  Cab- 
bage and  Lettuce  plants  during  the  winter,  and  the  for- 
warding of  Lettuce  and  Cucumbers  in  spring  and  summer. 

To  make  the  matter  as  clear  as  possible,  we  will  suppose 
that  the  market  gardener,  having  five  or  six  acres  of  land, 
has  provided  himself  with  100  of  3  x  6  feet  sashes.  The 
Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  or  Lettuce  plants,  which  they  are 
intended  to  cover  in  winter,  should  be  sown  in  the  open 
garden  from  the  10th  to  the  20th  of  September,  and  when 
of  sufficient  size,  which  they  will  be  in  about  a  month  from 
the  time  of  sowing,  they  must  be  replanted  in  the  boxes 
or  frames,  to  be  covered  by  the  sashes  as  winter  advances. 

The  boxes  or  frames  we  use,  are  simply  two  boards,  run- 
ning parallel,  and  nailed  to  posts  to  secure  them  in  line. 
The  one  for  the  back  is  ten  or  twelve  inches  wide,  and 
that  for  the  front  seven  or  eight  inches,  to  give  the  sashes, 
when  placed  upon  them,  pitch  enough  to  carry  off  rain, 
and  to  better  catch  the  sun's  rays.  The  length  of  the 
49 


50  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

frame  or  box  may  be  regulated  by  the  position  in  which 
it  is  placed ;  a  convenient  length  is  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  re- 
quiring eighteen  or  twenty  sashes. 

Shelter  from  the  north-west  is  of  great  importance,  and 
if  the  ground  is  not  sheltered  naturally,  a  board  fence  six 
feet  in  hight  is  almost  indispensable.  The  sashes  should 
face  south  or  south-east.  Each  sash  will  hold  five  hundred 
plants  of  Cabbage  or  Cauliflower,  and  about  eight  hun 
dred  of  Lettuce.  These  numbers  will  determine  the  proper 
distance  apart,  for  those  who  have  not  had  experience. 
It  should  never  be  lost  sight  of,  that  these  plants  are  al- 
most hardy,  and  consequently  will  stand  severe  freezing 
without  injury;  but  to  insure  this  condition  they  must  be 
treated  as  their  nature  demands;  that  is,  that  in  cold 
weather,  and  even  in  clear  winter  days,  when  the  thermom- 
eter marks  15  or  20  degrees  in  the  shade,  they  must  be 
abundantly  aired,  either  by  tilting  up  the  sash  at  the  back, 
or  better  still,  when  the  day  is  mild,  by  stripping  the  sash 
clear  off.  By  this  hardening  process,  there  is  no  necessity 
for  any  other  covering  but  the  sash.  In  our  locality,  we 
occasionally  have  the  thermometer  from  5°  to  10°  below 
zero  for  a  day  or  two  together,  yet  in  all  our  time  we  have 
never  used  mats,  shutters,  or  any  covering  except  the 
glass,  and  I  do  not  think  we  lose  more  than  two  per  cent, 
of  our  plants.  Some  may  think  that  the  raising  of  plants 
in  this  manner  must  involve  considerable  trouble,  but  when 
they  are  informed  that  the  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  plants  so 
raised  and  planted  out  in  March  or  April,  not  unfrequently 
bring  a  thousand  dollars  per  acre  before  the  middle  of 
July,  giving  us  time  to  follow  up  with  Celery  for  a  second 
crop,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  practice  is  not  unprofitable. 


USES    AND    MANAGEMENT    OI?    COLD    FRAMES.  51 

But  we  have  not  yet  done  with  the  use  of  the  sashes ; 
to  make  them  still  available,  spare  boxes  or  frames  must 
be  made,  in  all  respects  similar  to  those  in  use  for  the  Cab- 
bage plants.  These  frames  should  be  covered  up  during 
winter  with  straw  or  leaves  in  depth  sufficient  to  keep  the 
ground  from  freezing,  so  that  they  may  be  got  at  and  bo 
in  condition  to  be  planted  with  Lettuce  by  the  end  of  Feb- 
ruary, or  the  first  of  March.  By  this  time  the  weather 
is  always  mild  enough  to  allow  the  sashes  to  be  taken  off 
from  the  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  plants,  and  they  are  now 
transferred  to  the  spare  frames  to  cover  and  forward  the 
Lettuce.  Under  each  sash  we  plant  fifty  Lettuce  plants, 
having  the  ground  first  well  enriched  by  digging  in  about 
three  inches  of  well  rotted  manure.  The  management  of 
the  Lettuce  for  heading  is  in  all  respects  similar  to  that 
used  in  preserving  the  plants  in  winter;  the  only  thing  to 
be  attended  to,  being  to  give  abundance  of  air,  and  on  the 
occasion  of  rain  to  remove  the  sashes  entirely,  so  that  the 
ground  may  receive  a  good  soaking,  which  will  tend  tc 
promote  a  more  rapid  and  luxuriant  growth. 

The  crop  is  fit  for  market  in  about  six  weeks  from  time 
of  planting,  which  is  always  two  or  three  weeks  sooner 
than  that  from  the  open  ground.  The  average  price  for 
all  planted  is  about  $4  per  hundred  at  wholesale,  so  that 
again,  with  little  trouble,  our  crop  gives  us  $2  per  sash  in 
eix  weeks. 

I  believe  this  second  use  of  the  sash  is  not  practiced 
outside  of  this  district,  most  gardeners  having  the  opinion 
that  the  winter  plants  of  Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  or  Lettuce, 
would  be  injured  by  their  complete  exposure  to  the 
weather  at  as  early  a  date  as  the  first  of  March.  In  fact, 


52  GARDENING   FOK    PROFIT. 

here  we  have  still  a  few  old  fogies  among  us,  whose  timid- 
ity or  obstinacy  in  this  matter  prevents  them  from  making 
this  use  of  their  sashes,  which  thereby  causes  them  an  an- 
nual loss  of  $2  per  sash,  and  as  some  of  them  have  over  a 
thousand  sashes,  the  loss  is  of  some  magnitude. 

In  my  own  practice,  I  have  made  my  sashes  do  double 
duty  in  this  way  for  fifteen  years ;  the  number  when  I 
first  started  being  fifty,  increasing  to  the  present  time, 
when  I  have  in  use  fifteen  hundred  sashes.  Yet  in  all  that 
time  I  have  only  once  got  my  plants  (so  exposed)  injured, 
and  then  only  a  limited  number,  which  I  had  neglected  to 
sufficiently  harden  by  airing. 

We  have  still  another  use  of  the  sashes  to  detail.  Our 
Lettuce  being  cut  out  by  middle  of  May,  we  then  plant 
five  or  six  seeds  of  the  Improved  White  Spine  Cucumber, 
in  the  centre  of  each  sash.  At  that  season  they  come  up 
at  once,  protected  by  the  covering  at  night.  The  sashes 
are  left  on  until  the  middle  of  June,  when  the  crop  begins 
to  be  sold.  The  management  of  the  Cucumber  crop,  as 
regards  airing,  is  hardly  different  from  that  of  the  Lettuce, 
except  in  its  early  stage  of  growth  it  requires  to  be  kept 
warmer ;  being  a  tropical  plant,  it  is  very  impatient  of  be- 
ing chilled,  but  in  warm  days  airing  should  never  be  neg- 
lected, as  the  concentration  of  the  sun's  rays  on  the  glass 
would  raise  the  temperature  to  an  extent  to  injure,  if  not 
entirely  destroy  the  crop.  This  third  use  of  the  sashes  I 
have  never  yet  made  so  profitable  as  the  second,  althougb 
always  sufficiently  so  to  make  it  well  worth  the  labor. 

There  are  a  few  men  here  who  make  a  profitable  busi- 
ness from  the  use  of  sashes  only,  having  no  ground  except 
that  occupied  by  the  frames.  In  this  way  the  winter  crop 


TTSES   AND   MANAGEMENT   OF   COLD   FRAMES.  53 

of  Cauliflower  or  Cabbage  plants  is  sold  at  an  average-of 
$3  per  sash,  in  March  or  April ;  the  Lettuce  at  $2  per  sash 
in  May,  and  the  Cucumbers  at  $1  per  sash  in  June,  making 
an  average  of  $6  per  sash  for  the  season ;  and  it  must  be 
remembered  that  these  are  wholesale  prices,  and  that  too, 
in  the  market  of  New  York,  where  there  is  great  compe- 
tition. There  is  no  doubt,  that  in  hundreds  of  cities  and 
towns  of  the  Union,  the  same  use  of  sashes  would  double 
or  treble  these  results. 

Cold  frames  are  also  used  for  sowing  the  seeds  of  Cab- 
bage, Cauliflower,  and  Lettuce,  instead  of  hot-beds ;  if 
the  frames  are  closely  shut  up  and  covered  at  night  by 
mats,  the  plants  will  be  but  little  later  than  those  from  the 
hot-beds,  and  are  raised  with  far  less  trouble.  In  sections 
of  the  country  where  these  plants  cannot  be  set  out  before 
May,  it  is  useless  to  raise  them  in  hot-beds.  On  the  other 
hand,  in  the  Southern  States,  where  in  the  months  of  Feb- 
ruary and  March  there  are  no  frosts,  by  adopting  the  same 
care  in  covering  up  at  night,  the  seeds  of  Tomatoes,  Pep- 
pers, and  Egg  plants,  and  the  sprouts  from  Sweet  Pota- 
toes, can  be  forwarded  with  much  less  trouble  in  the  cold 
frames  than  in  the  hot-bed. 

I  am  sometimes  asked  the  question,  "  How  much  freezing 
and  thawing  plants  of  Lettuce,  Cabbages,  etc.,  will  stand 
without  being  destroyed."  I  have  always  taken  the 
ground  that  the  freezing  and  thawing,  instead  of  being 
injurious,  is  a  necessity  for  their  safety.  In  doing  so  I 
know  I  run  in  direct  opposition  to  a  large  majority  of  my 
brethren,  but  the  experience  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  fi  cen- 
tury, yearly  increasing  in  extent,  confirms  me  that  I  am 
correct,  and  I  am  further  assured  in  my  opinion  by  know- 


54  GARDENING   FOB   PEOFIT. 

ing  that  there  is  not  a  market  gardener  in  this  vicinity  but 
whose  practice  in  the  management  of  cold-frames  is  the 
same  as  my  own,  though  if  the  question  was  asked  some 
of  them  if  thawing  and  freezing  did  not  injure  plants,  the 
answer  might  be  in  the  affirmative,  so  universally  has  the 
dogma  been  accepted. 

Again :  "  How  long  can  frozen  plants  be  kept  from  the 
light  under  shutters  ?  " — Much  would  depend  on  atmos- 
pheric conditions.  If  the  temperature  ranged  at  night 
from  25°  to  32° — merely  sufficient  to  mildly  freeze  the 
plants — they  might  remain  in  good  condition  for  four  or 
five  weeks,  but  if  subjected  to  a  zero  atmosphere,  without 
change,  as  many  days  might  prove  injurious.  A  very 
common  practice  with  cold-frames  in  this  vicinity  is,  if  the 
plants  are  frozen  in  the  frames  previous  to  a  snow  storm 
we  allow  them  to  be  covered  up  by  the  snow  often  for  two 
or  three  weeks,  provided  that  it  is  deep  enough  to  protect 
the  plants  from  severe  frosts,  as  in  that  condition  the 
plants,  though  excluded  from  light,  are  subjected  only  to 
a  temperature  of  from  probably  25°  to  32°,  which  simply 
keeps  them  dormant.  But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
plants  are  not  frozen  when  snow  covers  the  glass,  it 
becomes  necessary  to  remove  the  snow  in  three  or  four 
days  after  falling,  else  the  plants  will  become  blanched, 
and  mode  so  tender  that  they  will  be  unable  to  resist  severe 
weather  that  may  follow. 


i 


CHAPTER     X. 


FORMATION    AND    MANAGEMENT    OF 
HOT-BEDS. 


Although  we  do  not  consider  hot-beds  so  convenient  or 
even  economical  in  the  long  run  as  the  forcing  houses, 
elsewhere  described,  yet,  as  beginners  in  the  business  are 
usually  not  over-supplied  with  means,  and  as  hot-beds  are 
to  be  had  at  much  less  first  cost  than  the  forcing  houses, 
we  give  a  description  of  their  formation  and  management. 
The  most  convenient  sash  for  the  hot-bed  is  the  3x6  foot 
sash,  made  out  of  1£  inch  pine,  costing  here,  at  present 
prices,  when  painted  and  glazed,  about  $4  each.  This  is 
almost  double  the  cost  of  what  they  were  before  the  reign 
of  high  prices ;  but  as  we  get  corresponding  rates  for  the 
commodities  raised  under  them,  we  must  not  complain. 

The  frame  for  the  hot-bed  is  usually  made  movable,  in 
lengths  which  three  sashes  will  cover,  making,  when  com- 
plete, a  box-like  structure,  9  feet  long,  (the  width  of  3 
ashes,  3  feet  wide),  and  6  feet  wide,  (the  length  of  the 
sashes) ;  at  the  bottom  or  lower  part,  the  plank  should  be 
15  or  18  inches  high ;  the  back  or  top,  24  inches ;  so  that, 
55 


56  GABDENWa   FOE  PROFIT. 

when  the  sashes  are  placed  on,  it  will  give  them  the  neces- 
sary angle  to  receive  the  sun's  rays  and  throw  off  the  rain. 
The  sashes  should  be  made  as  tight  fitting  as  they  will 
easily  work,  and  the  plank,  forming  the  sides  of  the  box, 
should  be  high  enougli  to  cover  the  thickness  of  the  sash, 
n  order  to  prevent  the  cold  air  from  penetrating.  This  ia 
one  style  of  hot-bed  frame,  and  the  one  most  commonly 
used  in  private  gardens;  but  in  our  market  gardens, 
where  a  large  surface  is  used,  our  necessities  compel  us  to 
adopt  a  far  more  economical  mode,  both  in  the  cost  of  the 
frame  work  and  heating  material.  This  is  done  somewhat 
after  the  manner  adopted  for  Cold  Frames.  Parallel  ex- 
cavations are  made,  usually  in  lengths  of  60  feet,  2^-  feet 
deep,  and  6  feet  wide ;  the  sides  of  these  pits  are  boarded 
up  with  any  rough  boarding,  nailed  to  posts,  and  raised 
above  the  surface  18  inches  at  the  back,  and  12  inches  at 
front.  Strips  are  stretched  across,  on  which  the  sashes 
rest,  wide  enough  to  receive  the  edges  of  the  two  sashes 
where  they  meet,  and  allow  of  a  piece  of  about  an  inch 
between  them,  so  that  the  sash  can  be  shoved  backward 
and  forward,  and  be  kept  in  place  in  giving  air,  etc. 

The  heating  material  is  next  in  order ;  this  should  be 
horse  dung,  fresh  from  the  stables,  added  to  which,  when 
accessible,  about  one-half  its  bulk  of  leaves  from  the 
woods.  The  manure  and  leaves  should  be  well  mixed  and 
trodden  down  in  successive  layers,  forming  a  conical  heap, 
large  enough  to  generate  fermentation  in  severe  winter 
weather.  Care  must  be  taken  that  the  material  is  not  al- 
lowed to  lie  scattered  and  get  frozen,  else  great  delay  will 
ensue  before  heat  can  be  generated.  A  few  days  after  tho 
pile  has  been  thrown  together,  and  a  lively  fermentation 


FOEMATION   AND  MANAGEMENT   OF   HOT-BEDS.  57 

has  taken  place,  which  will  be  indicated  by  the  escape  of 
steam  from  the  heap,  it  should  be  again  turned  over  and 
carefully  shakeu  out,  formed  again  into  a  pile,  and  left  un- 
til the  second  fermentation  occurs,  which  will  be  usually 
in  two  or  three  days.  It  may  now  be  placed  in  the  pit, 
being  regularly  beaten  down  by  the  back  of  the  fork,  and 
trodden  so  that  it  is  uniformly  of  the  same  solidity,  and  to 
the  required  depth,  2~  feet.  The  sashes  are  now  placed 
on  the  frames,  and  kept  close  until  the  heat  rises ;  at  this 
time  a  thermometer,  plunged  in  the  heating  material, 
should  indicate  about  100  degrees,  but  this  is  too  hot  for 
almost  any  vegetable  growth,  and  besides  the  rank  steam 
given  out  by  the  fermentation,  should  be  allowed  to  escape 
before  operations  of  sowing  or  planting  begin.  New  be: 
ginners  are  very  apt  to  be  impatient  in  the  matter  of  hot- 
beds, and  often  lose  the  first  crop  by  planting  or  sowing 
before  the  violent  heat  has  subsided,  which  it  generally 
will  do  in  about  three  days,  if  the  heating  material  has  been 
sufficiently  prepared.  As  soon  as  the  thermometer  in  the 
frame  recedes  to  90,  soil  should  be  placed  on,  to  the  depth 
of  6  or  8  inches.  This  soil  must  be  previously  prepared, 
of  one-third  well  rotted  manure,  (or,  if  procurable,  rotted 
refuse  hops,  from  breweries),  and  two-thirds  good  loam, 
spread  regularly  over  the  surface  of  the  hot-bed. 

"We  use  hot-beds  for  various  purposes.  One  of  the 
most  important  uses  is  the  forcing  of  Lettuce ;  this  ia 
planted  hi  the  hot-beds,  (from  plants  grown  in  the  cold 
frames),  50  under  each  sash,  the  first  crop  by  2nd  week  in 
January ;  it  is  covered  at  night  by  straw  mats,  and  is  usu- 
ally marketable  by  the  first  of  March.  At  that  season  Let- 
tuce is  always  scarce,  and  will  average,  if  properly  grown, 


5  GARDENING   FOB   PBOFIT. 

$8  per  100,  or  $4  per  sash.  The  crop  is  cut  out  by  the 
first  week  in  March,  giving  plenty  time  to  plant  the  same 
hot-bed  again  with  Lettuce ;  but  now  it  is  no  longer  a  hot- 
bed, for  by  this  time  the  heat  from  the  dung  is  exhausted, 
and  it  is  treated  exactly  as  described  in  the  chapter  on 
Cold  Frames. 

Another  use  for  the  hot-bed  is  the  raising  of  Tomato, 
and  Egg,  and  Pepper  plants.  The  bed  should  be  prepared 
for  these,  not  sooner  than  the  2nd  week  in  March,  and  of 
temperature,  about  the  same  as  before  described.  In  sow- 
ing, it  is  well  to  cover  the  seed  with  some  very  light 
mold;  nothing  is  better  than  leaf  mold  and  sand,  pat- 
ting it  gently  with  the  back  of  the  spade  From  the  time 


Fig.  21. — WATERING  POT. 

the  seed  is  sown,  attention  to  airing,  during  the  hot  part 
of  the  day,  and  covering  up  at  night,  is  essential,  and  also 
that  the  soil  be  never  allowed  to  get  dry.  The  watering 
should  be  done  with  a  very  fine  rose  Watering  Pot,  (fig! 
21),  and  with  tepid  water.  The  temperature  at  night  may 
l-ange  from  55  to  65°,  and  during  the  day  from  70  to  80°. 
As  soon  as  the  seedling  plants  are  an  inch  or  two  high, 
which  will  be  in  5  or  6  weeks,  they  must  be  taken  up  and 
re-planted  in  a  more  extensive  hot-bed,  for  they  now  re- 
quire room.  Tomatoes  should  be  planted  of  a  width  to 
give  75  or  100  in  each  sash.  Pepper  and  Egg  Plants  do 


FORMATION   AND   MANAGEMENT   OP   HOT-BEDS.  59 

better  if  planted  in  small  flower  pots,  (3-inch),  as  they  are 
more  difficult  to  transplant ;  they  may  now  also  be  kept 
a  little  closer  in  the  hot-bed  than  the  Tomatoes,  as  they 
require  more  heat.  After  transplanting,  great  care  is  nec- 
essary that  they  always  be  immediately  watered,  and 
shaded  from  the  sun  until  they  have  struck  root,  which 
will  be  in  2  or  3  days  after  transplanting. 

The  hot-bed  is  also  the  medium  for  procuring  us  Cab- 
bage, Cauliflower,  and  Lettuce  plants,  for  early  outside 
planting,  when  not  convenient  to  winter  them  orer 
as  described  in  the  uses  of  cold  frames.  The  seeds  of 
these  are  sown  about  the  last  week  in  February,  are  treated 
in  all  respects,  as  regards  covering  up  at  night,  as  the  To- 
matoes, etc. ;  but  being  plants  of  greater  hardiness,  re- 
quire more  air  during  the  day.  They  will  be  fit  to  plant 
in  the  open  garden  by  the  middle  of  April.  The  beda 
they  are  taken  from  are  usually  employed  for  the  re-plant- 
ing Tomatoes,  which  it  is  not  safe  to  plant,  in  the  open 
ground  here,  before  the  middle  of  May. 

Sweet  Potato  plants  are  almost  universally  raised  in  hot- 
beds, but  as  this  is  a  plant  that  luxuriates  in  a  high  tem« 
perature,  the  hot-bed  should  not  be  formed  to  start  them 
until  the  middle  of  April.  The  soil  should  be  a  mixture  of 
sand  and  leaf  mold,  laid  on  of  the  usual  thickness  on  tho 
hot-bed,  6  inches.  The  tubers  are  placed  closely  together 
and  the  same  sandy  compost  sifted  over  them  to  the  depth 
of  two  inches ;  some  split  the  large  ones  lengthwise,  and, 
place  them  flat  side  down ;  they  should  not  be  watered 
until  they  start  to  grow.  They  are  fit  to  plant  out  about 
lix  weeks  after  starting. 

Two  most  essential  points  in  working  hot-beds  are,  in 


60  GARDENING  FOR  PROFIT. 

covering  up  at  night,  and  in  giving  air  during  the  day. 
It  often  happens  that  a  few  mild  nights  in  March  or  April 
delude  us  into  the  belief  that  all  the  cold  weather  is  over, 
and  the  covering  up  is  in  consequence  either  carelessly 
performed  or  abandoned.  Every  season  shows  us  scores 
of  victims  to  this  mistake,  who,  by  one  cold  night,  lose 
the  whole  labors  of  the  .season.  It  is  always  safest  to 
cover  up  tender  plants,  such  as  Tomatoes,  Sweet  Pota- 
toes, etc.,  until  the  10th  of  May  in  this  latitude,  and  the 
more  hardy  plants,  such  as  Cabbage,  to  the  1st  of  April, 
when  raised  in  hot-beds ;  even  if  there  is  no  danger  from 
freezing,  it  will  give  a  more  uniform  temperature,  and  con- 
sequently conduce  to  a  more  healthy  growth.  The  want 
of  close  attention  in  airing  is  equally  dangerous ;  often  an 
hour's  delay  in  raising  the  sashes,  will  have  the  effect  of 
scorching  up  the  whole  contents  of  the  hot-bed,  and  ir- 
regularity of  airing  will  always  produce  "drawn"  and 
spindling  plants,  even  when  they  are  not  entirely  killed. 
The  thermometer  is  the  only  safe  guide,  and  should  be 
regularly  consulted,  and  whenever  it  indicates  75°,  it  is  safe 
to  admit  less  or  more  of  the  outer  air,  proportioned  of 
course  to  the  condition  of  the  atmosphere ;  if  there  be 
bright  sunshine,  and  cold  wind,  very  little  will  suffice ;  if 
calm,  mild,  and  sunny,  admit  larger  quantities. 

COVERINGS  FOR  PROTECTION  AGAINST  FROST. — To  cover 
up  hot-bed  sashes,  we  use  either  light  pine  shutters  or 
straw  mats ;  the  shutters  are  made  the  exact  size  of  the 
-sash ;  there  is  no  necessity  of  their  being  more  than  half 
an  inch  in  thickness,  as  that  is  quite  as  effective  in  keeping 
out  the  cold  as  two  inches  would  be,  and  they  are  much 
cheaper  and  more  convenient  to  handle.  Straw  Mats  are, 


FORMATION   AND   MANAGEMENT   OF   HOT-BEDS. 


Cl 


however,  by  far  the  warmest  covering,  and  in  hot-bed  cul- 
ture are  almost  indispensable.  They  are  always  made  at 
home,  during  wet  days  or  stormy  weather  in  winter.  The 
manner  of  making  them  is  very  simple,  and  will  readily 
be  learned  at  the  first  attempt.  The  "uprights,"  (or 
warps),  are  formed  of  five  strands  of  a  tarred  string, 
known  as  ".marline;"  these  are  tightly  strained  10  inches 
apart,  by  being  attached  to  five  strong  nails  at  bottom  of 
a  wall,  corresponding  with  the  same  number  7  feet  from 
the  bottom.  Against  these  strings  (beginning  at  the  bot- 
tom) ai*e  laid  small  handfuls  of  rye  straw,  the  cut  side 


Fig.  33. — MAKING  A   STKAW  MAT. 

out,  as  long  and  straight  as  can  be  procured ;  this  is  se- 
cured to  the  uprights-by  a  lighter  kind  of  tarred  string, 
by  taking  a  single  turn  around  the  upright  and  the  straw, 
and  so  continued  until  the  mat  is  finished.  Some  use  a 
frame  to  which  the  strings,  forming  the  warp,  are  attach- 
ed, as  shown  in  fig.  22.  This  allows  the  operator  to  have 
his  work  upright  or  horizontal,  as  may  be  most  convenient. 
Two  workmen  will  make  about  five  mats  in  a  day. 


62  GARDENING  FOB   PBOFIT. 

When  finished,  the  mats  should  be  7  feet  in  length  and 
4|  feet  in  width,  two  being  sufficient  to  cover  three  sash- 
es. The  reason  for  having  them  made  one  foot  longer 
than  the  sash  is,  that  there  may  be  6  inches  to  overlap  at 
top  and  bottom,  which  are  the  most  necessary  points  to 
eecnre  from  frost.  In  making  these  mats  they  may  ba 
constructed  of  sedge  from  the  marshes,  or  salt  meadow 
hay,  when  rye  straw  cannot  be  procured.  It  is  important, 
however,  that  they  may  be  made  as  light  as  possible,  one 
inch  in  thickness  being  quite  sufficient.  By  care  in  hand« 
ling  them,  these  mats  will  last  for  six  or  eight  years. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

FORCING    PITS    OR    GREEN-HOUSES. 


Forcing  pits  and  green-houses  of  the  style  about  to  be 
described,  whenever  the  greater  expense  in  their  erection 
is  not  a  consideration,  are,  hi  our  experience,  far  superior, 
and  in  the  course  of  five  or  six  years,  more  economical  for 
all  purposes  of  forcing  or  forwarding  vegetables,  than  the 
hot-bed  or  cold  frame.  Figure  23  represents  the  end  sec- 
tion and  ground  plan  of  the  style  we  have  hi  use,  and 
which  may  be  adapted  to  any  plant  that  requires  artificial 
heat  and  protection  of  glass.  The  pits,  represented  by 
this  plan,  are  100  feet  in  length,  and  each  11  feet  wide  in- 
side. The  heating  is  accomplished  by  one  of  Hitching's 
Patent  Boilers,  ((7),  heating  about  1200  feet  of  4-inch  pipe. 
The  glass  roof,  (J7),  is  formed  of  portable  sashes,  6^3  feet ; 
each  alternate  sash  is  screwed  down,  the  others  being 
movable,  so  as  to  give  abundance  of  air.  The  fixed  roof 
plan  of  building  green-houses  or  pits,  is,  in  our  climate,  a 
great  mistake,  in  my  opinion,  unless  in  large  graperies 
or  conservatories,  where  architectural  beauty  is  of  more 
consideration  than  the  health  of  tie  plants.  The  mov- 


GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 


Fig.    23.  —  END  SECTION  AND   GROUND    PLAN  OF  FORCING  PITS  HEATED 
BY   WATEK  PIl'ES. 


FOKCE5TO  PITS   OB   GREEN-HOUSES.  65 

able  sash  is  elevated,  to  admit  air,  by  an  iron  bar, 
15  inches  long,  attached  to  the  sash  by  a  staple;  in- 
to  this  bar  is  punched  three  holes,  so  to  regulate  the 
admission  of  the  air  as  required.  When  the  sash  is 
shut  down,  the  bar  is  hooked  on  to  a  pin  which  se; 
cures  it  in  place,  so  that  the  sash  cannot  be  moved  bj 
wind.  I  am  thus  particular  in  describing  what  may  seem 
a  simple  matter ;  but  this  system  of  airing  is  not  common, 
and  we  made  some  stupid  blunders  before  we  hit  on  our 
present  plan,  which  is  cheap,  simple,  and  very  effective. 
The  movable  sash  is  not  hinged  at  the  bottom,  but  is  held 
in  place  by  two  small  plates  of  iron  screwed  on  the  gutter 
plate.  The  ridge-poles  are  cut  out  of  the  shape  shown 
at  J,  and  the  sashes  lie  on  the  shoulder.  The  interior 
arrangement  of  the  pits  will  be  easily  understood  by  the 
end  section.  #,  shows  the  bench  or  table  as  it  as  complet- 
ed; this  shows  the  boxing-in  of  the  pipes,  (Z>),  to  give 
"  bottom  heat "  to  the  cuttings,  seeds,  or  plants;  that  are 
placed  on  the  bench,  but  on  the  sides  of  the  bench,  along 
the  walk,  one  plank  is  hinged  throughout  the  house,  so 
that  it  may  be  let  down  when  required,  and  permit  the  es- 
cape of  heat  into  the  pit.  The  walks  through  the  house, 
(J5T),  are  2  feet  wide.  A  brick  shed,  (A),  covers  the 
boiler  pit,  (^P),  and  is  attached  to  the  north  end  of  the 
pits.  Besides  breaking  the  wind  at  this  vulnerable  point, 
we  find  this  shed  a  most  excellent  place  for  many  purposes, 
as  it  is  kept  from  freezing  by  the  heat  that  escapes  from 
the  boiler  pit,  which  would  otherwise  be  lost.  This  heat 
may  be  rendered  to  a  very  profitable  account  in  forcing 
Mushrooms  or  Rhubarb,  if  desired  for  that  purpose. 
The  system  of  attaching  three  pits  together,  if  not  new 


66 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


in  this  country,  is  certainly  new  in  its  almost  universal  adop- 
tion by  commercial  gardeners,  in  all  houses  erected  dur- 
ing the  past  five  years  in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York ; 
it  has  great  advantages  over  the  detached  system,  be- 
ing less  expensive  in  heating,  more  saving  of  space,  and, 
above  all,  far  more  economical  in  cost  of  construction. 
I  prefer  having  only  three  together,  for  the  reason  that, 
when  we  have  the  snow  to  clear  away,  it  is  quickly  done  by 

being  shoveled  from  the 
two  valleys  or  furrows 
over  the  ridges ;  although 
we  have  one  grower  in 
this  neighborhood  who 
has  12  connected  houses, 
and  finds  but  little  trouble 
with  snow ;  our  snows 
being  mostly  from  the 
North,  the  shed  breaks 
them  off  in  a  great  meas- 
ure, and  what  blows  over, 
blows  mostly  off  through 
the  valley  between  the 
sashes.  The  water  from 
the  gutter  is  led  into  a 
cistern,  at  the  south  end 
Fig.  Si.— WEST'S  FORCE  PUMP.  of  the  green-houses,  of  a 
capacity  of  not  less  than  3000  cubic  feet,  if  5000,  all  the  bet- 
ter ;  to  this  is  connected  a  West's  Force  Pump,  fig.  24,  with 
150  feet  of  li-ineh  hose,  and  to  the  end  of  the  hose  is  attach- 
ed a  heavy  sprinkler.  One  man  pumps,  and  another  regu- 
lates the  water  and  sprinkles  it  over  the  plants.  My  estab- 


PITS    OB   GBEEN-HOUSES.  67 

lishment  in  1866  contained  over  an  acre  of  glass,  and  yet, 
by  this  labor-saving  arrangement,  all  the  plants  were 
thoroughly  drenched  with  water  by  two  men  in  four 
hours.  Before  adopting  this  method  of  watering,  at  least 
four  of  the  hands  were  employed  the  whole  day  dur- 
"ng  the  spring  months  in  watering,  and  then  the  work 
was  not  done  half  so  well.  There  is  nothing  that  I  have 
ever  done  connected  with  horticultural  operations,  that 
has  been  so  entirely  satisfactory  as  this  system  of  watering. 
In  these  pits  may  be  propagated  and  grown  Grape 
Vines,  Roses,  and  green-house  and  bedding  plants  of  every 
description,  in  the  best  possible  manner.  But  as  our  pres- 
ent purpose  is  only  with  vegetables,  I  will  endeavor  to  de- 
scribe our  mode  of  operations  with  some  of  these.  As 
Lettuce,  from  the  great  quantities  consumed  in  all  large 
cities,  is  now,  and  will  be  likely  to  be,  one  of  the  most 
profitable  vegetables  to  force,  we  begin,  for  our  first  crop, 
by  sowing  the  seed  about  the  first  of  September,  in  the 
open  ground,  of  the  Tennis  Ball,  or  Black-seeded  Butter 
sorts.  These  are  planted  on  the  benches  of  the  forcing 
house  in  five  or  six  weeks  after,  at  about  six  or  eight 
inches  apart  each  way,  on  well  enriched  soil,  placed  on  the 
benches  to  the  depth  of  five  or  six  inches.  At  this  season, 
no  "  forcing "  is  required,  in  fact,  if  the  sashes  could  be 
taken  completely  off  until  the  middle  of  November,  so 
much  the  better,  but  when  it  is  not  convenient,  the  sashes 
should  be  kept  raised  to  admit  air,  night  and  day,  until 
frosts  begin  to  be  severe ;  then  they  should  be  shut  up  at 
night,  but  no  fire  heat  should  be  applied  until  the  weather 
has  been  severe  enough  to  indicate  32  or  34  inside  the  pits, 
and  even  then  very  slight,  for  if  thev  can  be  brought  to 


68  GAKDENING   FOB  PEOFIT. 

maturity  at  this  season  without  the  temperature  exceed- 
ing forty  degrees  at  night  (by  fire  heat),  the  crop  will 
be  all  the  better.  The  great  thing  in  forcing  all  plants  of 
this  hardy  nature  being  to  avoid  a  high  temperature. 

Of  late  years  Lettuce  plants,  when  grown  under  glass, 
have  occasionally  become  affected  by  a  species  of  mildew 
or  rust  which,  beginning  in  the  centre  of  the  plant  quickly 
spreads  over  the  whole  and  destroys  it.  I  am  not  certain 
of  the  cause,  and  can  offer  no  cure — except  to  advise  that 
great  care  should  be  taken  to  have  the  plants  grown  freely, 
and  without  any  sudden  check  by  chilling  or  by  the 
extremes  of  drought  or  moisture.  "We  find  in  the  culture 
of  plants  under  glass,  that  some  species  are  particularly 
sensitive  to  such  checks — some  varieties  of  the  Rose,  for 
instance,  if,  when  in  a  particular  condition  of  growth,  the 
temperature  for  a  few  hours  is  reduced  from  65°  to  40°,  at 
night,  or  if  a  frosty  south-east  wind  is  allowed  to  play  on 
the  leaves  for  even  ten  minutes,  or  if  allowed  to  dry  so 
that  the  plant  wilts,  mildew  will  to  a  certainty  be  developed 
in  twenty-four  hours.  The  Verbena,  Heliotrope,  and 
Petunia,  when  subjected  to  ill  usage,  become  badly  rusted. 
Therefore  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  Lettuce  disease 
is  also  caused  by  some  ill  usage  at  some  period  of  its 
growth,  for  we  find  that  it  is  rarely  seen  when  the  crop  is 
grown  in  the  open  ground  in  spring  or  summer.  The 
preventive  suggested  is  that  plants  to  be  forced  should  be 
prepared  so  carefully  that  no  sudden  check  is  given — and 
also  that  the  soil  used  on  the  benches  be  fresh,  and  the 
manure  used  be  thoroughly  rotted  and  well  mixed  through 
the  soil.  Fumigating  with  tobacco  should  also  be  done 
twice  each  week,  beginning  the  very  day  the  plants  are 


FORCTXG  PITS   OR   GREEX-HOTTSES.  69 

planted  in  the  bench.  In  fumigating  we  use  refuse  tobacco 
stems,  about  2  pounds  (dry)  for  every  1,000  square  feet  of 
glass,  damping  however  before  using,  so  as  to  get  the 
greatest  amount  of  smoke. 

The  first  crop  is  ready  about  December  15th  and  is  cut 
off  and  sold  in  two  weeks;  the  soil  on  the  benches  is 
slightly  manured,  dug  up,  and  again  planted  (from  plants 
sown  in  cold  frames,  or  in  boxes  in  the  same  pit)  about  No- 
vember 1st.  This  second,  or  winter  crop,  requires  more 
attention  in  growing,  both  in  firing,  watering,  and  airing, 
as  it  matures  about  March  1st,  and  consequently  has  had 
to  be  cared  for  during  the  coldest  part  of  the  year.  The 
third  crop,  treated  exactly  as  the  second,  is  planted  soon 
as  the  other  is  cut  off,  and  matures  about  May  1st.  "We 
now  vary  the  use  of  the  pit,  by  planting  at  distances  of 
about  three  feet  apart  along  the  centre  of  the  bench, 
plants  of  the  White  Spine  Cucumber,  from  seed  sown 
about  April  first,  in  a  corner  of  the  pit  that  has  been 
kept  closer  and  warmer  than  that  for  the  Lettuce ;  these 
are  planted  in  pots  about  3  inches  in  diameter,  and  by  the 
time  the  benches  are  cleared  in  May,  are  fine  strong  plants, 
that  gives  a  full  crop  during  the  month  of  June — fully  a 
month  sooner  than  from  the  open  ground.  The  combined 
value  of  these  four  crops  will  average  about  $500,  for  an 
erection  100  feet  in  length  by  11  feet  in  width.  The  esti 
mated  expense  of  cultivation  is:  — 

Interest  on  $1000,  cost  of  construction,  at  10  per  cent $100 

Coal,  5  tons 50 

Labor,  Manure,  etc 100 

$250 
Receipts 600 

Nett  Profit...  ...$2BO 


70  GARDENING    FO  R    PROFIT. 

These  forcing  pits  are  likewise  used  for  starting  seeds 
of  Tomato,  Egg,  Pepper,  Cabbage,  and  Cauliflower,  and 
sprouting  Sweet  Potatoes,  which  is  done  with  far  less  risk 
and  in  a  much  better  manner,  than  can  be  accomplished 
by  the  hot-bed.  One  great  advantage  is,  that  by  being 
able  to  walk  inside  of  them,  these  pits  are  accessible  in 
all  weathers,  while  with  the  hot-bed  or  frames,  we  are  in 
winter  often  debarred  from  examination  for  whole  days 
together. 

At  present  prices,  in  this  locality,  these  pits  cost 
about  $10  per  lineal  foot,  everything  complete  put 
up  in  the  way  indicated  by  the  plan  in  a  plain  sub- 
stantial manner.  But  those  whose  circumstances  do 
not  admit  of  the  expense  of  heating  by  hot  water, 
(which  is  nearly  half  the  cost  of  the  Avhole),  may  put  up 
erections  of  exactly  the  same  character,  and  heat  them  by 
the  common  smoke  flue,  at  an  expense  of  from  five  to 
six  dollars  per  lineal  foot,  in  the  manner  shown  by  the 
plan,  fig.  25.  It  will  be  seen  by  this  sketch,  that  two 
flues  only  are  used  for  the  three  pits,  each  passing  first  up 
under  the  bench  on  the  outside  houses,  is  carried  along 
the  end  and  returned  through  the  middle  houses;  this 
equalizes  the  temperature  in  all  three,  for  the  outside 
houses  get  only  one  run  of  the  flue,  but  it  being  directly 
from  the  fire,  gives  about  the  same  heat  to  the  outside 
houses  as  two  runs  in  the  middle  house,  which  being  at  a 
greater  distance  from  the  fire,  are  much  colder.  Three 
attached  houses,  heated  thus,  should  not  be  over  50  feet 
long,  iu  this  latitude.  Southward  they  may  be  60  feet, 
and  northward  40  feet.  Peculiarities  of  locality  have 
much  to  do  with  the  heating ;  in  positions  particularly 


POKCING   PITS    OB   GBEEN-HOTTSK8. 


71 


To! 


Fig.  25.— END   8ECTION   AND   GROUND  PLAN    OF  FORCING   PITS 
HEATED  BT  FLUE. 


72  GAllDENING    FOE   PROFIT. 

sheltered  from  the  northwest,  the  same  amount  of  flue 
will  heat  60  feet,  quite  as  easily  as  in  exposed  places  it 
will  heat  40.  The  proper  way  of  constructing  the  furnace 
and  flue,  is  of  importance  enough  to  require  a  description. 
The  size  of  the  furnace  doors  should  not  be  less  than  1 
foot  square,  the  length  of  the  furnace  bars,  2  feet ;  the 
furnace  should  be  arched  over,  the  top  of  inside  of  the  arch 
at  least  18  inches  from  the  bars.  The  flue  will  always 
"  draw  "  better  if  slightly  on  the  ascent  throughout  its  en- 
tire length ;  it  should  be  elevated,  in  all  cases,  from  the 
ground,  on  flags  or  bricks,  so  that  its  heat  may  be  given 
out  on  all  sides.  The  inside  measure  of  the  flue  should 
not  be  less  than  8  *  14  inches ;  if  tiles  can  be  conveniently 
procured,  they  are  best  to  cover  with,  but  if  not,  the  top 
of  the  flue  may  be  contracted  to  6  inches,  and  covered 
with  bricks.  Care  should  be  taken  that  no  woodwork 
connect  with  the  flue  at  any  place.  I  have  known  cases 
where  woodwork  has  caught  fire  at  70  feet  from  the  fur- 
nace, after  the  house  had  been  in  operation  for  three  years ; 
but  an  unusually  strong  draft  intensified  the  heat,and  the 
charred  timber  ignited  and  totally  destroyed  the  green- 
house and  its  contents.  In  the  plan  and  section  on  the 
opposite  page,  A,  is  the  shed,  enclosing  the  furnaces  C  C ; 
from  which  pass  the  flues,  Z>,  in  the  direction  shown  by 
the  arrows  to  the  chimnies,  L.  The  benches  are  not 
shown  here,  but  they  are  arranged  as  in  fig.  23. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

SEEDS    AND    SEED    RAISING. 


If  there  is  one  thing  of  paramount  importance  in 
vegetable  gardening,  it  is  purity  of  seed ;  and  for  this 
reason  every  seed  that  it  is  practicable  for  us  to  raise 
for  our  own  use,  we  grow,  no  matter  what  the  cost 
may  be.  On  one  occasion,  our  indispensable  Wake- 
field  Cabbage  seed  failed,  from  some  peculiarity  in  the 
season,  and  there  was  no  alternative  but  to  buy  from 
the  seed  stores ;  every  store  in  New  York  was  tried,  but 
not  a  seed  proved  to  be  of  the  "Wakefield,  as  we  know  it. 
One  old  gentleman,  who  always  provided  for  such  emer- 
gencies, had  a  two-year  old  reserve  supply.  I  offered  him 
$50  per  pound,  but  could  not  procure  an  ounce  from  him. 
He  too  well  understood  the  state  of  the  case,  and  planted 
his  whole  ground  with  this  variety,  and  as  he  got  in  ahead 
of  all  by  nearly  ten  days,  made  a  little  fortune  by  the 
operation.  That  was  about  ten  years  ago ;  but  I  have 
never  known  a  Jersey  gardener  to  be  out  of  this  variety 
of  seed  since,  and  not  know  where  to  get  it.  On  another 
occasion  one  pound  of  seed,  purchased  as  Silesia  Lettuce, 
and  planted  in  my  forcing  frames,  proved  to  be  the  curled 
73 


74  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

India  Lettuce,  useless,  except  for  our  hottest  summer 
\veather,  and  perfectly  worthless  for  forcing.  This  was 
the  most  serious  loss  from  bad  seeds  I  ever  encountered, 
amounting  to  at  least  $1000.  Last  year,  quite  a  number 
of  my  neighbors  lost  heavily  in  purchasing  seed  of  the 
erect  variety  of  Thyme,  instead  of  the  spreading  variety; 
the  crop  being  all  but  worthless  in  consequence.  No 
wonder  then  that  the  market  gardeners  are  so  skeptical 
about  using  seeds  except  those  of  their  own  raising,  or 
from  those  of  their  immediate  neighbors,  in  whose  knowl- 
edge and  honesty  they  have  entire  confidence. 

There  is  but  little  new  to  say  of  the  manner  of  raising 
seeds ;  the  importance  of  selecting  the  purest  specimens 
of  each  variety,  and  of  keeping  plants  that  are  of  the 
same  families,  as  far  distant  apart  as  the  limits  of  the 
ground  will  admit,  is  now  well  understood.  It  is  not 
practicable,  however,  to  raise  all  the  seeds  wanted  in  our 
vegetable  gardens,  in  our  climate,  and  consequently  we 
have  to  rely  on  importation  for  seeds  of  Brocoli,  Cauli- 
flower, some  varieties  of  Cabbage,  Radishes,  Peas,  etc. 
But  the  great  majority  of  seeds  used  are  raised  here,  our 
climate  being  particularly  well  adapted  for  maturing  them. 
In  the  raising  of  market  vegetables,  near  large  cities,  the 
usual  practice  is,  for  each  grower  to  grow  only  a  few  vari- 
eties, and  these  of  the  sorts  most  profitable  to  his  location  or 
BoiL  For  example,  we  of  New  Jersey,  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  New  York,  grow  Beets,  Cabbages,  Cauliflow- 
er, Cucumbers,  Lettuce,  Radishes,  and  Turnips,  as  a  first 
crop ;  followed  by  Celery,  Thyme,  Sage,  Brocoli,  and  late 
Cabbage,  as  a  second  crop.  Of  these  varieties  we  save 
all  the  seeds  that  it  is  practicable  for  us  to  raise ;  while 


SEEDS    AND    SEED    RAISING.  75 

the  more  Southern  counties  of  the  State,  where  crops  ma- 
ture ten  or  twelve  days  earlier,  but  the  distance  greater 
from  market,  the  bulkier  and  cheaper  articles  are  not 
grown,  and  only  the  more  portable  and  (when  early)  valu- 
able kinds  are  raised,  of  which  Tomatoes,  Melons,  Peas, 
Kidney  Beans,  Early  Turnips,  and  Beets,  are  the  staple 
articles.  There,  also,  the  growers  know  well  the  necessity 
of  sowing  only  such  seeds  as  are  grown  by  themselves,  or 
from  sources  that  they  know  to  be  reliable. 

Seed  growing,  as  practised  by  market  gardeners,  is  on 
much  too  small  a  scale  to  make  it  profitable ;  in  fact,  there 
is  hardly  a  seed  we  raise,  but  costs  us  much  more  than  what 
we  could  purchase  it  for  from  the  seedsmen.  Seedsmen  are 
supplied  by  regular  seed  growers,  who  make  a  special 
business  of  it ;  they  are  located  principally  in  the  East- 
ern States,  and  devote  many  thousands  of  acres  of  the 
finest  lands  to  the  purpose.  They  are  a  highly  responsi- 
ble class  of  men,  who  thoroughly  understand  the  business, 
and  are  now  successfully  competing  with  the  English  and 
French  growers,  from  whom,  only  a  few  years  ago,  nearly 
all  our  seeds  were  imported.  Just  so  soon  as  our  seeds- 
men are  able  to  get  their  entire  supply  from  reliable  men 
here,  there  will  be  no  necessity  for  the  market  gardeners 
continuing  to  be  their  own  seed  growers ;  they  would  also 
greatly  conduce  to  the  increase  of  their  business  by  taking 
the  trouble  to  ascertain  the  varieties  most  suitable  for 
market  purposes.  Above  all,  no  seed  should  ever  be  sold 
without  its  germinating  qualities  being  thoroughly  tested. 
Neither  should  any  gardener  risk  his  crop  without  testing 
the  seed,  unless  he  has  implicit  confidence  in  the  source 
from  whence  it  has  been  purchased. 


76  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

* 

It  will  be  understood,  that  of  all  annual  plants,  such  as 
Beans,  Corn,  Cucumbers,  Egg  Plants,  Lettuce,  Melons, 
Peas,  Radishes,  Tomatoes,  etc.,  the  seed  is  saved  the  sea- 
son of  planting,  and  should  be  always  taken  from  those 
first  maturing,  if  earliness  is  an  object.  The  seeds  of  bi- 
ennial vegetables,  such  as  Beets,  Carrots,  Celery,  Cab 
bages,  Onions,  Leeks,  Parsley,  Parsnips,  etc.,  are  raised  by 
selecting  the  best  specimens  from  those  preserved  over 
winter,  planting  them  out  in  good  soil  on  the  opening  of 
spring,  at  distances  such  as  are  recommended  for  their 
growing. 

DURATION  OF.  GERMINATION  IN  SEEDS. — There  are  very 
few  seeds  that  will  not  germinate  as  freely  the  second  year 
as  the  first,  if  properly  kept  in  a  cool  place,  and  not  ex- 
posed to  either  a  too  drying  or  too  damp  an  atmosphere. 
With  the  exception  of  Parsnips,  Onions,  and  Leeks,  I  would 
just  as  confidently  sow  seed  two  years  old,  as  when  fresh 
gathered ;  but  there  is  a  limit  to  the  vitality  of  seeds,  va- 
rying much  in  the  different  species. 

Among  those,  only  safe  for  two  years,  are :  Beans  and 
Peas,  of  all  kinds ;  Peppers,  Carrot,  Egg  Plant,  Okra, 
Salsify,  Thyme,  Sage,  and  Rhubarb. 

Those  safe  for  three  years :  Asparagus,  Endive,  Lettuce, 
Parsley,  Spinach,  and  Radish. 

Those  safe  for  four  years :  Broccoli,  Cauliflower,  Cab- 
bage, Celery,  and  Turnip. 

Those  possessing  the  greatest  vitality  are:  Beet,  Cu- 
cumber, Melon,  Pumpkin,  Squash,  and  Tomato ;  the  time 
ranging  from  five  to  ten  years. 

We  often  find  this  knowledge  very  valuable ;  for  exam- 
ple, in  procuring  the  stock  of  a  seed  said  to  be  good,  of  a 


SEEDS    A2tt>    SEED    RAISING.  77 

variety  that  does  not  seed  the  season  it  is  marketable, 
such  as  Broccoli,  Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  or  Celery,  we  pro- 
cure enough  to  last  at  least  two  seasons ;  the  first  season 
only  a  little  is  sown,  to  test  the  merit  of  the  variety,  (for 
we  are  never  incautious  enough  to  risk  a  full  crop  with  one 
experiment);  if  it  proves  valuable,  we  have  enough  in  re- 
serve to  sow  for  a  full  crop,  knowing  that  it  is  sure  to 
germinate.  This  was  particularly  the  case  with  our  New 
Dwarf  Celery ;  on  the  recommendation  of  a  friend  I  im- 
ported ten  pounds  of  the  seed,  but  doubtful  of  how  it 
would  suit  our  market,  only  as  much  was  sown  as  would 
furnish  a  few  hundred  plants.  These  showed  so  much 
superiority,  in  all  respects,  to  the  tall  varieties  that  we  had 
been  growing,  that  the  following  season  I  put  in  half  my 
crop  with  the  dwarf  seed.  The  thing  was  entirely  new 
in  our  market,  and  so  much  superior,  that  it  sold  for  prices 
that  would  seem  incredible.  My  ten  Ib.  bag  was  not  half 
exhausted,  and  the  next  season  I  planted  my  whole  crop, 
fourteen  acres,  containing  nearly  half  a  million  roots,  and 
made  one  of  the  best  hits  I  ever  made  in  gardening.  But 
by  this  time  my  neighbors  began  to  take  an  unusual  in- 
terest in  my  Celery  crop,  and  I  could  monopolize  the  va- 
riety no  longer. 

A  frequent  source  of  complaint  is  the  fact  of  seeds 
failing  to  germinate  during  long  continued  dry  weather, 
And  it  is  very  important  that  the  gardener  should  always 
apply  common-sense  to  his  work,  and  not  simply  follow 
routine,  for  what  wiK  suit  for  one  condition  of  soil  or 
atmosphere,  would  be  unnecessary  or  even  wrong  for 
another.  I  will  give  a  case  to  illustrate.  About  the  fifth 
of  May  of  1871, 1  sowed  a  large  patch  of  open  ground 


78  GARDENING    FOB   PROFIT. 

with  Celery  seed,  and  another  with  Cabbage  seed.  The 
soil  was  in  fine  order,  and  the  beds  after  sowing,  were 
raked ;  the  Celery  with  a  fine  steel  rake,  the  Cabbage  with 
a  large  wooden  rake,  which  covered  the  seed  of  each  to 
the  regular  depth.  The  weather  was  dry,  with  indications 
of  its  continuing  so,  and  after  sowing  I  had  both  the  Cab- 
bage and  Celery  beds  rolled  heavily,  leaving,  however,  a 
strip  of  each  unrolled,  so  that  I  could  clearly  show  to 
some  of  my  young  men  what  the  result  of  this  omission 
would  be  if  dry  weather  continued.  Had  a  heavy  rain 
fallen  within  a  day  or  two  after  sowing,  it  would  have 
compacted  the  soil  and  produced  the  effect  of  rolling  it. 
But  we  had  no  rain  for  three  or  four  weeks,  and  a  burning- 
hot  atmosphere,  passing  through  the  shallow,  loose  cover- 
ing of  the  seeds,  shrivelled  and  dried  them  up  so  that  it 
was  impossible  they  could  ever  germinate.  This  little 
experiment  resulted  exactly  as  any  one  having  experience 
in  seed-sowing  knew  it  must ;  our  crop  of  Celery  and  Cab- 
bage plants  were  as  fine  as  need  be  on  the  rolled  bed, 
while  not  one  seed  in  a  thousand  of  the  Celery,  and  not 
one  in  a  hundred  of  the  Cabbage  started  in  the  strips 
when  the  soil  was  left  loose. 

In  the  sowing  of  Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  or  Lettuce  in 
September,  the  same  precaution  had  better  be  used.  But 
in  small  beds,  such  as  are  usually  taken  for  these,  if  a 
roller  is  not  at  hand,  after  raking  the  beds,  the  soil  should 
be  firmly  patted  with  the  back  of  the  spade ;  this  not 
only  produces  quicker  and  more  certain  germination,  but 
it  leaves  the  surface  of  the  bed  smooth,  so  that  the  plants 
come  up  straighter  than  if  the  beds  Avere  left  rough.  We 
consider  the  practice  of  soaking  seeds  worse  than  useless. 


CHAPTER   XHI. 

HOW,   WHEN,  AND  WHERE  TO   SOW  SEEDS 


As  seed  sowing  is  the  starting  point  of  cropping,  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  conditions  necessary  for  the 
germination  of  the  different  varieties,  will  go  far  towards 
putting  the  tyro  in  gardening  well  on  the  way  to  success. 
The  very  general  want  of  knowledge  in  this  matter  is  too 
often  the  cause  of  much  undeserved  censure  upon  the 
seedsman,  for  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  failure  is  not 
with  the  seeds,  but  results  from  the  time  or  manner  of 
planting.  When  the  owner  of  a  garden  sends  his  order  for 
seeds  to  the  seedsman,  it  is  generally  a  complete  list  of  all 
he  wants  for  the  season.  They  are  received,  and  the  in- 
teresting operation  of  sowing  is  begun:  first  in  a  hot 
bed,  if  he  has  one,  often  as  early  as  the  first  week  in  Feb 
ruary,  (a  month  too  soon  by  the  way),  and  in  go  indis 
crirninately,  at  the  same  date,  and  under  the  same  sash 
his  seeds  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower,  Lettuce,  and  Egg  Plant, 
Peppers  and  Tomatoes.  Yet  even  in  the  waning  heat  of 
this  early  hot-bed,  where  a  thermometer  would  possibly 
not  indicate  more  than  fifty  degrees,  he  finds  in  a  week  or  so 
79 


80 


GARDENING   FOB  PROFIT. 


his  Cabbage,  Lettuce, and  Cauliflower  "coming  through" 
nicely,  but  as  yet  no  Egg  Plants,  Peppers,  or  Tomatoes.  He 
impatiently  waits  another  week,  makes  an  examination,  and 
discovers  that  instead  of  his  Tomatoes  and  Egg  Plants  be- 
ginning to  vegetate,  they  are  commencing  to  rot.  It  is  now 
plain  to  him  that  he  has  been  cheated ;  he  has  been  sold  old 
seed,  and  if  he  does  nothing  worse,  he  for  ever  after  looks 
upon  the  seedsman  he  has  patronized  as  a  venial  wretch, 
destitute  of  principle  and  honesty.  But  he  must  have 
Tomatoes,  Peppers,  and  Egg  Plants,  and  he  buys  again, 
from  another  seedsman,  warranted  honest.  He  renews  his 
hot-bed,  it  is  now  a  month  later,  and  a  bright  March  sun, 
with  milder  nights,  gives  him  the  proper  temperature  in 
his  hot-bed — 70  or  80°,  and  his  eyes  are  at  last  gladdened 
by  the  sprouting  of  the  troublesome  seed.  April  cornea 
with  warm  sunshine,  inviting  him  to  begin  to  "  make  gar- 
den "  outside.  He  has  yet  the  balance  of  the  original  lot  of 
seeds  that  he  bought  in  February.  But  as  he  is  still  entire- 
ly befogged  about  the  cause  of  his  failure  in  the  first  hot- 
bed, he  begins  his  open  ground  operations  with  little  confi- 
dence in  his  seeds,  but  as  he  has  got  them,  they  may  as  well 
be  tried.  And  again  he  sows  in  the  same  day  his  Peas  and 
Lima  Beans,  Radishes  and  Pumpkins,  Onions  and  Sweet 
Corn.  Hardy  and  tender  get  the  same  treatment.  The  re- 
sult must  of  necessity  be  the  same  as  it  was  in  the  hot-bed ; 
the  hardy  seeds  duly  vegetate,  while  the  tender  are  of  course 
rotted.  This  time  he  is  not  surprised,  for  he  is  already 
convinced  that  seedsman  No.  1  is  a  rascal,  and  only  won- 
ders how  any  of  his  seeds  grew  at  all,  so  he  again  orders 
from  seedsman  No.  2  for  the  articles  that  have  failed. 
Here  circumstances  continue  to  favor  the  latter,  for  by 


HOW,    WHEN,    AND   WHERE   TO    SOW   SEEDS.  81 

this  time  the  season  has  advanced  in  its  temperature  and 
the  seeds  duly  vegetate.  Every  farmer  knows  that,  in 
this  latitude,  he  can  sow  Oats  or  Wheat  in  March  or  April, 
but  that  if  he  sows  his  Corn  or  Pumpkins  at  the  same  time, 
they  will  perish ;  this  he  knows,  but  he  may  not  know 
that  what  is  true  of  the  crops  of  the  farm,  is  equally  true 
of  the  garden.  Hence  the  importance  of  a  knowledge  of 
the  season  when  to  sow  vegetable  seeds,  or  set  out  plants. 

A  decision  was  not  long  ago  rendered  in  one  of  the 
Philadelphia  courts  against  the  claim  for  damages  made 
by  a  market  gardener,  who  brought  suit  against  a  well- 
known  seedsman  of  that  city  for  having  sold  him  seed  of 
Early  York  Cabbage  that  "  run  to  seed." 

The  ventilation  of  such  a  matter  is  exceedingly  in- 
structive to  those  engaged  in  gardening  operations,  as 
was  shown  by  the  facts  elicited  on  the  trial,  the  gist  of 
which  was,  that  the  prosecutor  had  sown  the  Cabbage 
seed  on  the  5th  of  September  instead  of  the  15th,  and  that 
error,  combined  with  an  unusually  mild  and  growing  fall, 
practically  lengthened  the  season,  so  that  the  Cabbage 
plants  became  "  annuals " — running  to  seed  within  the 
year  of  sowing — rather  than  forming  heads  and  acting 
as  "biennials,"  as  was  expected  of  them.  •  Now,  just  here 
an  excellent  lesson  comes  in  with  another  vegetable. 
Most  of  our  so-called  scientific  gardeners  are  English, 
Scotch,  Irish,  or  Germans ;  they  come  here,  most  of  them, 
with  a  thorough  contempt  for  our  rougher  style  of  doing 
things  (a  practical  style  born  of  our  necessities  in  the 
higher  cost  of  labor) ;  and  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  con- 
vince one  in  a  dozen  of  them,  that  there  is  anything  in 
horticultural  matters  here,  that  he  needs  to  be  informed 


82  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

of.  Accordingly,  if  he  wishes  to  raise  Celery,  he  starts 
his  seed  in  a  hot-bed  in  February,  just  as  he  would  have 
done  iu  England,  and  is  astonished  to  find  in  July  that 
instead  of  forming  a  thick  and  solid  stalk,  as  it  would 
have  done  there,  it  spindles  and  runs  to  seed.  If  his 
knowledge  of  the  art  had  been  based  on  common-sense, 
instead  of  the  blind  routine  practice  acquired  in  a  colder 
climate,  he  would  have  known  that  our  season — from  April 
1st  to  July  1st — would  sum  up  nearly  the  same  mean  of 
temperature  here  as  it  would  there,  from  February  1st  to 
July  1st ;  and  hence  it  was  not  only  unnecessary  here, 
but  dangerous  to  the  welfare  of  the  crop,  to  sow  such 
biennial  plants  as  Celery  in  any  other  place  but  in  the 
open  ground,  and  that  not  before  April.  It  was  just  such 
an  error  that  the  market  gardener  made,  who  sued  the 
seedsman  above  alluded  to.  He  had  been  following 
likely  in  the  English  or  German  method,  and  paid  the 
penalty  not  only  of  losing  his  crop,  but  losing  his  law- 
suit, by  not  adapting  his  practice  to  our  conditions  of 
temperature.  As  the  matter  of  sowing  the  seeds  of  Cab- 
bage, Cauliflower,  and  Lettuce  to  make  plants  to  winter 
over  in  cold-frames,  is  one  in  which  there  is  a  wide-spread 
interest,  I  may  state  that  the  time  of  sowing  in  fall,  in  a 
country  having  such  a  wide  area  and  difference  of  latitude 
as  ours,  is  somewhat  difficult  to  fix  upon;  but  taking  the 
latitude  of  New  York  as  a  basis,  the  safest  time  we  hav.e 
found  to  sow  is  from  the  10th  to  the  15th  of  September. 
Of  late  years  we  have  inclined  rather  more  to  the  latter 
date,  and  have  even  sown  as  late  as  September  30th, 
with  excellent  success,  in  warm,  well-sheltered  positions, 
in  a  rich,  well-prepared  soil 


HOW,    WHEN,    AND    WHERE    TO    SOW    SEEDS. 

Each  kind  of  seed  has  certain  limits  of  temperature,  be- 
low or  above  which  it  can  not  germinate.  Below  the 
minimum  heat  it  remains  dormant,  above  its  maximum 
limit,  its  vitality  is  destroyed ;  between  these  two  points 
is  found  the  temperature  most  favorable  to  rapid  germina- 
tion. Practically  it  suffices  to  divide  our  garden  seeds  in 
two  classes:  natives  of  temperate  and  natives  of  sub- 
tropical countries. 

The  temperature  best  fitted  for  the  germination  of  seeds 
of  the  leading  kinds,  will  be  best  understood  by  the  tabu- 
lar form  given  below. 


Vegetable  seeds  that  may  be  sown, 

Vegetable  seeds  that  may  be  sown  in 

in  this  latitude,  from  the  middle  of 

the  open  ground,  in  this  latitude,from 

March  to  the  end  of  April.     Ther- 

the middle  of  May  to  the  middle  of 

mometer  in  the  shade  averaging  45 

June.     Thermometer  in  the  shade  av- 

degrees. 

eraging  60  degrees. 

Beet.                     Lettuce. 

Lima  Beans.           Water  Melon. 

Carrot.                   Parsley. 

Bush  Beans.            Squash. 

Cress.                     Parsnip. 

Cranberrry             Pumpkin. 

Celery.                    Onions. 

Pole  Beans.         Tomato. 

Cabbage.                Peas. 

Scarlet  Run-           Nasturtium. 

Cauliflower.           Radish. 

ner  Beans.           Okra. 

Endive.                  Turnip. 

Sweet  Corn.            Cucumber. 

Kale.                       Spinach. 

Musk  Melon. 

It  will  be  understood  that  these  dates  refer  only  to  the 
latitude  of  New  York,  farther  South,  operations  should  be 
begun  earlier, — farther  North,  later.  So  much  for  the  time 
of  sowing ;  I  will  now  refer  to  suitable  soil  and  the  man 
ner  of  sowing. 

THE  CHOICE  OF  Son,,  when  choice  can  be  made,  is  of 
great  importance,  the  best  being  a  light  soil,  composed 
of  leaf  mold,  sand,  and  loam;  the  next  substitute  for 
leaf  mold  being  well  decayed  stable  manure,  or  better 


g4  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

yet,  decayed  refuse  hops  from  the  breweries,  in  short, 
anything  of  this  nature  that  will  tend  to  lighten  the 
soil,  the  point  to  be  avoided  being  a  weight  of  soil, 
either  from  the  nature  or  quantity  of  it.  The  nature  of 
the  soil  is  not  of  so  much  importance  for  the  germinating 
of  large  vigorous  seeds,  as  Peas,  Beets,  Beans,  Corn,  etc. 
But  with  the  delicate,  slow  sprouting  sorts,  as  Celery. 
Parsnip,  Egg  Plant,  or  Peppers,  it  is  of  much  importance 
Seeds  of  nearly  every  garden  vegetable  should  be  sown  in 
rows ;  the  distance  apart,  according  to  the  variety,  and  th« 
depth  proportioned  to  the  size  of  the  seed.  No  better  infor 
mation  can  be  given  in  this  matter,  than  the  old  rule  of 
covering  the  seed  with  about  its  thickness  of  soil,  but  thi» 
should  always  be  followed  up  by  having  the  soil  pressed 
closely  down.  In  our  market  gardens  here,  we  invariably 
have  the  ground  rolled  after  sowing,  or  in  frames  or  hot- 
beds, where  the  roller  cannot  be  used,  we  pat  the  soil  even- 
ly down  with  a  spade  after  sowing.  This  may  not  be  of 
so  much  consequence  in  early  spring,  when  the  atmosphere 
is  moist,  but  as  the  season  advances,  it  is  of  great  im- 
portance. I  have  seen  many  acres  of  Carrots  and  Parsnips 
lost  for  want  of  this  simple  attention ;  the  covering  of  the 
seeds  being  loose,  the  heated  air  penetrates  through,  dry- 
ing the  seeds  to  shriveling,  so  that  they  never  can  vege- 
tate. My  farmer  readers,  no  doubt,  have  had  plenty  of 
similar  experiences  with  Turnips,  where  they  have  been 
sown  broadcast  without  rolling.  Another  advantage  in 
rolling  after  seed  sowing  is,  that  it  leaves  the  surface 
smooth  and  level,  thereby  lessening  greatly  the  labor  of 
hoeing.  Instead  of  adopting  the  questionable  practice  of 
steeping  seeds,  preparatory  to  sowing  in  dry  hot  weather, 


HOW,    WHEN,    AKD   WHERE   TO   SOW   SEEDS.  85 

we  prefer  first  to  thoroughly  saturate  the  bed  with  water, 
and  after  it  has  dried  enough,  so  that  it  can  be  raked  with- 
out clogging,  sow  the  seed.  It  is  much  better  to  do  this 
than  water  after  the  seed  has  been  sown,  as  it  has  a  ten- 
dency in  most  soils  to  bake  the  surface. 

SOWIXG  rsr  HOT-BEDS. — It  would  lengthen  this  chapter 
too  much  to  give  extended  directions  for  sowing  seeds  hi 
hot-beds.  I  will  briefly  say,  that  after  the  hot-bed  has 
been  formed — say  by  the  first  week  in  March,  let  soil,  of 
the  kind  recommended,  be  placed  on  it  six  inches  deep,  in- 
to which  plunge  a  thermometer  three  or  four  inches,  and 
when  the  temperature  recedes  to  75  degrees  or  80  degrees, 
you  may  then  sow,  giving  air  in  mild  weather  as  soon  as 
the  seeds  begin  to  vegetate,  covering  up  warmly  at  night 
by  mats,  straw,  or  hay.  But  many  that  may  read  this 
never  saw  a  hot-bed,  and  are  perhaps  never  likely  to  have 
one :  to  such  I  would  say  that  there  is  an  excellent  substi- 
tute on  hand  in  most  dwellings,  in  the  kitchen  or  base- 
ment windows,  facing  South  or  East,  inside  of  which  is  a 
temperature  usually  not  far  from  that  required  for  the 
vegetation  of  seeds,  and  where  plants  from  seeds  of  the 
early  vegetables,  or  tender  plants  for  the  flower  border,  may 
be  raised  nearly  as  well,  and  with  far  less  attention,  than  hi 
a  hot-bed.  Instead  of  hot-beds,  we  use  our  green-houses 
for  the  purpose,  using  shallow  boxes  in  which  we  sow  the 
seed ;  these  are  made  from  the  common  soap  box,  cut  in 
three  pieces,  the  top  and  bottom  forming  two,  and  the 
middle  piece,  bottomed,  making  the  third ;  these  form 
cheap,  convenient  boxes.  Fill  these  nearly  full  with  the 
soil  recommended,  and  after  sowing,  press  nicely  down 
level,  and  make  the  surface  soil  moderately  firm ;  keep 


bO  GARDENING   FOB   PBOFTT. 

moist,  in  a  temperature  in  the  window  of  from  60  to  70 
degrees,  and  your  little  trouble  will  soon  be  rewarded. 

In  this  way  seeds  should  be  sown  thickly,  and  after  they 
have  made  the  first  rough  leaf,  should  be  again  planted 
out  into  the  same  kind  of  box,  from  one  to  four  inches 
apart,  according  to  the  kind,  and  placed  in  the  window  to 
receive  similar  treatment  as  the  seeds ;  but  as  the  season 
advances,  in  mild  days  they  should  be  set  out  of  doors, 
care  being  taken  that  they  are  brought  in  at  night,  and 
that  the  soil  in  the  boxes  is  never  allowed  to  get  dry. 

I  know  what  is  usually  the  first  thing  the  novice  in  gar- 
dening does  if  he  gets  any  choice  seed  or  favorite  cutting  j 
he  has  some  how  got  the  belief  that  there  is  some  hidden 
virtue  in  a  flower  pot,  and  he  accordingly  sows  his  seed 
or  plants  his  cutting  in  a  pot,  but  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten 
they  are  destroyed,  or  partially  so,  by  the  continued  dry- 
ing of  the  soil  in  the  porous  flower  pot.  If  early  in  the 
season,  let  delicate  seeds  be  sown  in  the  kitchen  or  sitting 
room  window,  in  the  boxes  as  recommended,  or  if  late,  in 
the  open  border;  but  seeds  should  never  be  sown  in  pots, 
as  even  in  experienced  hands  they  are  much  more  trouble- 
some and  uncertain  than  boxes. 

ROTATION  OF  CKOPS. — Cultivators  of  the  most  limited 
experience  soon  discover  that  the  same  kind  of  crop  can- 
not be  grown  on  the  same  ground  for  many  years  in  suc- 
cession, without  deterioration.  A  great  many  theories 
have  been  advanced  assigning  causes  for  this,  but  they  are 
as  yet  far  from  satisfactory,  and  as  this  is  not  a  book  of 
theory  but  of  practice,  I  will  not  further  allude  to  them. 
The  following  general  rules  will  be  found  useful  as  a 
guide :  — 


HOW,    WHEN,   AND    WHEHE   TO   SOW   SEEDS.  87 

1st.  Plants,  of  the  same  family,  should  not  be  planted  to 
succeed  each  other. 

2d.  Plants,  which  occupy  the  ground  for  a  number  of 
years,  such  as  Rhubarb  and  Asparagus,  should  be  succeeded 
by  annual  plants. 

3d.  Crops,  grown  for  heads,  such  as  Cauliflower,  Cabbage 
etc.,  should  be  succeeded  by  crops  grown  for  their  bulbs  or 
roots. 

It  is  hardly  practicable  to  vary  crops  according  to  any  set 
rule,  the  demand  in  different  localities  for  certain  articles 
being  greater  than  in  others.  Generally  variety  enough  is 
demanded  to  allow  of  sufficient  rotation.  Our  system  of 
heavy  manuring,  deep  culture,  and  taking  two  crops  from 
the  ground  each  season,  seems  to  do  away  in  a  great  meas- 
ure with  the  necessity  for  systematic  rotation,  which  would 
often  be  found  to  be  very  inconvenient.  The  crops  of  all 
others,  that  we  find  most  benefitted  by  change  are,  the 
Cabbage  tribe,  together  with  the  allied  Turnip,  Eadish,  etc., 
while  on  the  other  hand  we  have  grown  Onions  successively 
on  the  same  ground  for  ten  years  —  the  last  crop  just  as 
good  as  the  first ;  but  as  a  rule  of  safety,  vary  whenever  you 
can. 

QUANTITY  OF  SEEDS  PER  ACRE.  —  The  quantities  given 
below  are  somewhat  higher  in  some  kinds  than  the  usual 
estimates,  our  experience  showing  us  that  in  weak  vegetat- 
ing seeds,  such  as  Parsnips,  Carrots,  etc.,  it  requires  num- 
bers, particularly  on  stiff  soils,  to  force  through  plants 
enough  to  form  a  crop ;  more  seed  is  required  when  sown 
during  the  dry  hot  months  of  summer,  than  if  sown  in  the 
cooler  and  moist  seasons  of  spring  and  fall,  hence  quantities 
are  regulated  accordingly. 


GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 


QUANTITY   OF    SEED   REQUIRED    TO   SOW   AN  ACRE. 

Beans,  Dwarf iu  drills 11  bushels. 

Beans,  Pole in  hills 10  to  12  quarts. 

Beets in  drills 5  to  6  pounds. 

Cabbage iu  beds  to  transplant J  pound. 

Carrot in  drills 3  to  -1  pounds. 

Corn in  hills 8  to  10  quarts. 

Corn,  (for  soiling) 3  bushels. 

Cucumber in  hills 2  pounds. 

Mustard broadcast I  bushel. 

Melon,  (Musk) in  hills 2  to  3  pounds. 

Melon,  (Water) in  hills 4  to  5  pounds. 

Onion in  drills 5  to  6  pounds. 

Onion,  (for  sets) in  drills 30  pounds. 

Onion,  (sets) in  drills G  to  12  bushels. 

Parsnip in  drills 4  to  6  pounds. 

Peas in  drills H  bushels. 

Peas broadcast 3  bushels. 

Potato,  (cut  tubers) 10  bushels. 

Pumpkin in  hills 4  to  6  pounds. 

Radish in  drills 8  to  10  pounds. 

Sage in  drills 8  to  10  pounds. 

Salsify in  drills 8  to  10  pounds. 

Spinach in  drills 10  to  12  pounds. 

Squaah,  (bush  varieties) in  hills 4  to  6  pounds. 

Squash,  (running  varieties) in  hills 3  to  4  pounds. 

Tomato to  transplant J  pound. 

Turnip in  drills i  to  2  pounds. 

Turnip broadcast 3  to  4  pounds. 

Barley broadcast 2  to  3  bushels. 

Broom  Corn in  hills 8  to  10  quarts. 

Clover  (Red)  alone 15  to  20  pounds. 

Clover  (White)  alone 13  to  15  pounds. 

Clover  (Alsike)  alone 8  to  10  pounds. 

Clover  (Lncern)  alone 20  pounds. 

Grass  (Mixed  ^awn) 3  bushels. 

Oats broadcast 2  to  3  bushels. 

Rye broadcast li  to  2  bushels. 

Vetches broadcast 2  to  3  bushels. 

Wheat broadcast 11  to  2  bushels. 

Timothy,  alone i  bushel. 

Millet. . .   i  to  1  bushel. 


HOAT,    WHEN,    AND    WHEKE   TO    SOW    SEEDS. 


89 


MIXTURE  FOB  SEEDING  MOWING  LANDS. 

Clover,         )  together  ( 10  pounds  Clover. 

Timothy,      V      for      •{ i  bushel  Timothy. 

Red-Top,     )  one  acre  ( 1  bushel  Red-Top. 


QUANTITY  OF  SEEDS   KEQUIBED   FOR     A     GIVEN  NUMBER   OF  PLANTS,  NUM- 
BER OP   HILLS,    OR  LENGTH  OF   DRILL. 


Asparagus,  1  oz 60  ft.  of  drill. 

Beet,  loz 50ft.  of  drill. 

Beans,  Dwarf,  1  qt..lOO  ft.  of  drill. 

Beans,  Pole,  1  qt 150  hills. 

Carrot,  1  oz 150  ft.  of  drill. 

Cucumber,  1  oz 50  hills. 

Corn,  1  qt 200  hills. 

Dandelion,  1  oz. . .  .200  ft.  of  drill. 

Endive,  1  oz 150  ft.  of  drill. 

Leek,  1  oz 100  ft.  of  drill. 

Melon,  Water,  1  oz 30  hills. 

Melon,  Musk,  1  oz 60  hills. 

Okra,  loz 40ft.  of  drill. 

Onion,  1  oz 100  ft.  of  drill. 

Onion,  Sets,  1  qt 40  ft.  of  drill. 

Parsley,  1  oz 150  ft.  of  drill. 


Parsnip,  1  oz 200  ft.  of  drill. 

Peas,  1  qt 100  ft.  of  drill. 

Pumpkin,  loz 40 hills. 

Radish,  1  oz 100  ft.  of  drill. 

Salsify,  1  oz 70  ft.  of  drill. 

Spinach,  1  oz 100  ft.  of  drill. 

Squash,  Early,  1  oz 50  hills. 

Squash,  Marrow,  1  oz 16  hills. 

Turnip,  1  oz 150  ft.  of  drill. 

Cabbage,  1  oz 3,000  plants. 

Cauliflower,  1  oz 2,000  plants. 

Celery,  1  oz 3,000  plants. 

Egg  Plant,  1  oz 1,000  plants. 

Lettuce,  1  oz 3,000  plants. 

Pepper,  1  oz 1,000  plants. 

Tomato,  1  oz 1,500  plants. 


THE   NUMBER   OF   PLANTS,    TREES,    ETC.,    REQUIRED    TO   SET   AN  ACRE. 

Distance.  Number. 


1  ft.  by  1  ft 43,560 

lift,  by  lift 19,360 

2ft.  by  2  ft 10,890 

2i  ft.  by  2i  ft 6,970 

3ft.  by  1ft 14,520 

3ft.  by  2  ft 7,260 

3ft.  by  3  ft 4,840 

4ft,  by  4  ft 2,722 

5ft.  by  5  ft 1,742 


Distance.  Number. 

6ft.  by  6  ft 1,200 

9  ft.  by  9  ft 537 

1-3  ft.  by  12  ft 302 

15ft.  by  15  ft 194 

13ft.  by  18  ft 134 

20ft.  by  20  ft 103 

25ft.  by  25  ft 70 

30ft.  by  30  ft 40 

40ft.  by  40  ft 2? 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

TRANSPLANTING. 


TRANSPLANTING  is  an  operation  of  great  importance ; 
the  condition  of  the  plant,  the  state  of  the  soil,  and  of 
the  atmosphere,  have  much  to  do  with  its  success,  inde- 
pendently of  the  simple  mechanical  operation.  It  is  not 
very  easy  to  instruct  the  uninitiated  as  to  what  the  proper 
condition  of  the  plant  should  be ;  experience  in  this  being, 
as  in  everything  else,  the  best  teacher.  Attention  to  keep- 
ing the  seed-bed  clear  of  weeds,  the  "  topping  "  of  plants 
when  they  get  too  tall,  and  careful  digging  up  of  them 
so  as  to  preserve  the  root  fibres,  will  all  greatly  assist. 
We  cannot  always  get  the  soil  in  the  proper  condition 
of  moisture  to  receive  plants  at  the  time  transplanting 
should  be  performed,  but  to  make  up  for  the  want  of  mois- 
ture, planting  should  be  delayed  always  until  late  in  the 
afternoon,  unless  in  cloudy  weather.  It  is  also  of  great 
importance  that  the  ground  be  freshly  plowed;  the  moist 
soil  thus  brought  to  the  surface  will  induce  the  formation 
of  root  fibres  in  one  night,  after  which  the  plants  are 
comparatively  safe ;  but  if  they  be  allowed  to  wilt  before 
90 


TRANSPLANTING.  91 

the  new  roots  begin  to  be  emitted,  and  contirred  dry 
weather  ensues,  then  nothing  will  save  them  but  having 
recoui-se  to  watering,  which  should  always  be  avoided  if 
possible.  In  planting,  each  man  is  provided  with  a  boy,  who 
carries  the  plants  in  a  basket,  and  whose  duty  is  to  drop 
the  plant  on  the  line  at  the  proper  distance  before  the 
planter.  In  planting,  a  hole  is  made  by  the  dibber  about 
the  depth  of  the  root ;  the  plant  being  inserted,  the  soil  is 
then  pressed  close  to  the  root,  the  hole  thus  made  by  the 
displacement  of  the  soil  is  again  filled  up  by  one  stroke  of 
the  dibber.  In  dry  weather  we  still  further  firm  the  plant, 
by  each  planter  returning  on  his  row,  and  treading  the  soil 
around  plants  firmly  with  the  feet.  I  am  thus  particular 
in  describing  a  simple  matter,  knowing  well,  that  millions 
of  plants  are  annually  lost  by  inattention  to  this  firming  of 
the  soil.  The  same  rule  is  applicable  to  transplanting  of 
all  kinds,  trees,  shrubs,  or  vegetables.  Instead  of  "  pud- 
dling "  the  roots  in  mud,  we  prefer  to  keep  the  plants 
dripping  wet  during  the  whole  time  of  planting,  so  that 
each  plant,  as  it  is  put  in  the  soil,  puddles  itself  by  the 
particles  of  soil  adhering  to  the  wet  root.  Besides,  the 
leaves  of  the  plant,  being  wet,  will  for  some  time  resist 
the  action  of  the  dry  air. 

Planting  of  Vegetable  Plants. — A  year  or  two  ago, 
about  the  middle  of  April,  the  snow,  after  its  long  ac- 
quaintance with  us  during  the  past  winter,  intruded  itself 
again  iu  the  spring,  and  covered  our  newly-planted 
gardens  to  the  depth  of  several  inches.  Veteran  tillers 
of  the  soil  could  smile  at  this  assault,  knowing  it  to  be 
harmless.  But  correspondents,  still  young  in  the  busi- 
ness, wrote  to  me  fearing  their  planted  crops  were  ruined. 


92  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

A  snow,  after  planting  in  spring,  I  have  never  known 
to  injure  plants  of  any  kind,  unless,  indeed,  it  was  heavy 
enough  to  break  them.  The  fear  of  snow  and  of  the 
slight  late  frosts  often  prevents  the  setting  of  such 
plants  as  Cabbage,  Lettuce,  and  even  Asparagus,  among 
vegetables,  and  of  Strawberries  and  other  small  fruits, 
until  the  season  is  so  far  advanced  that  hot  weather 
comes  on,  starting  the  tops  before  the  roots  have  had 
time  to  get  a  foothold.  There  is  rarely  danger  that  such 
hardy  or  half-hardy  plants  as  we  plant  in  spring  will  be 
injured  by  any  frost  that  may  come  after  they  are  put  out. 
This  opening  up  for  spring  work  usually  begins  by  the 
end  of  March,  here,  and  I  have  never  yet  seen  plants  in- 
jured by  frost  after  that  time. 

To  give  an  idea  what  amount  of  cold  Cabbage  and  Let- 
tuce plants  will  stand  without  injury,  I  will  relate  an  ex- 
perience I  had  in  my  early  days  of  market  gardening.  A 
particularly  mild  spell  in  the  latter  part  of  February  had 
led  us  to  believe  that  spring  had  come.  Out  went  the 
teams,  and  the  ground  was  manured,  ploughed,  and 
planted  with  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  to  the  extent  of  two 
acres,  which  was  all  finished  up  by  the  26th  of  February. 
It  was  my  second  year  in  the  business.  I  was  yet  an  in- 
experienced hand,  and  my  neighbors  predicted  that  my 
venture  was  a  foolhardy  one,  and  would  result  in  total 
loss,  no  one  having  ever  before  planted  such  crops  in  this 
section  at  such  an  early  season.  But  fortune  favored  me ; 
the  weather  continued  mild  long  enough  to  allow  the 
plants  to  "strike  root,"  and  though  the  thermometer 
afterward  marked  as  low  as  15°  above  zero,  and  the 
ground  was  frozen  for  full  ten  days  so  that  it  could  not 


TRANSPLANTING.  93 

be  again  dug  or  ploughed,  yet  the  wild  venture  proved  a 
success,  and  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  having  the  first  Cab- 
bages from  that  February  planting  that  were  sold  in 
market.  I  never  after  had  an  opportunity  of  planting  so 
early,  and  would  not  do  it  if  I  had,  for  it  was  simply 
favorable  conditions  that  saved  the  crop.  If  the  cold  snap 
had  set  in  immediately  after  planting,  there  is  but  little 
doubt  the  plants  -would  have  suffered  injury.  But  the  ex- 
perience was  valuable  in  showing  what  severity  of  frost 
such  plants  would  stand  without  injury.  Much  depends 
on  the  condition  of  the  plants ;  if  taken  from  the  hot-bed 
or  frame  without  being  previously  exposed,  they  might  be 
in  condition  to  be  as  easily  injured  as  a  Tomato  plant. 

The  past  season  I  had  the  sashes  taken  off  my  entire 
crop  of  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  plants  on  March  1st  (they 
being  hardened  beforehand  by  ventilating),  and  never 
covered  them  again.  They  were  twice  covered  up  with 
sno\v,  and  the  mercury  several  times  marked  only  20° 
above  zero.  Yet  we  hardly  ever  before  had  finer  plants. 

The  sashes  so  taken  off — nearly  1,000  in  number — were 
used  for  our  flower  business,  but,  had  we  desired  it,  they 
might  have  been  used  on  temporary  frames,  and  grown  a 
crop  of  Lettuce  which  in  five  weeks  from  date  of  planting, 
March  1st,  would  have  easily  given  $3  per  sash.  I  men- 
tion these  facts  to  give  confidence  to  the  hundreds  now 
engaged  in  market  gardening,  who,  from  dread  of  expos- 
ing their  plants  in  spring,  not  only  do  them  an  injury,  but 
lose  the  profit  of  a  second  use  of  their  sashes.  A  third  use 
of  sashes  may  be  had  in  growing  Tomato,  Sweet-potato, 
or  Egg-plants,  after  the  crop  of  Lettuce  is  sold,  or  for- 
warding an  early  crop  of  Cucumbers  or  Melons. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

PACKING    OF    VEGETABLES    FOR    SHIPPING. 


This  is  a  matter  for  which  it  is  not  very  easy  to  give 
directions,  as  the  distance,  season,  and  articles  to  be  packed 
will  greatly  determine  the  manner  in  which  it  is  to  be 
done ;  but  a  few  general  directions  may  assist  the  inex- 
perienced. 

The  mode  of  packing  during  spring  and  summer  is  al- 
most entirely  the  reverse  of  that  practiced  during  autumn 
or  winter,  for  the  reason  that,  when  the  temperature  is 
high,  provision  must  be  made  in  the  package  for  the  ad- 
mission of  air  to  prevent  the  articles  from  heating ;  while 
in  cold  weather,  when  there  is  but  little  danger  from  heat- 
ing, but  more  to  be  apprehended  from  frost,  close  packages 
must  be  used  accordingly. 

As  early  vegetables  are  always  shipped  from  a  warm 
climate  to  a  colder  one,  at  a  season  which,  of  course,  must 
be  warm  to  mature  them,  open  work  baskets  or  slatted 
boxes  must  be  used.  If  barrels  are  used,  care  must  be 
taken  that  openings  be  made  plentifully  in  the  sides,  so 
that  air  may  be  admitted.  For  distances  requiring  a  delay 
94 


PACKING   OF  VEGETABLES   FOB   SHIPPING.  95 

of  more  than  forty  eight  hours  in  the  transit,  for  most  ar- 
ticles, barrels  are  too  large ;  boxes  or  baskets,  one-fourth 
the  capacity  of  a  flour  barrel,  being  safer.  The  articles 
shipped  in  this  manner  from  southern  ports  to  northern 
markets,  are :  Asparagus,  Beans,  Cucumbers,  Lettuce, 
Melons,  Peas,  Radishes,  Tomatoes,  and  other  summer 
crops.  Bulky  articles,  such  as  Cabbages,  Beets,  Sweet 
Corn,  "Water  Melons,  Turnips,  are  often  shipped  loose  on  the 
decks  of  steamers,  sloops,  etc. ;  but  even  then,  care  must 
be  taken  that  the  heaps  are  not  too  large,  else  they  may 
be  injured  by  heating.  The  judgment  of  the  shipper  must 
be  exercised  in  respect  to  the  article  to  be  shipped.  Articles 
that  lay  close,  will  require  to  be  shipped  in  smaller  pack- 
ages than  those  that  lie  so  loosely  that  the  air  can  pass 
among  them ;  for  example,  Melons  may  be  safely  packed 
in  a  barrel,  while,  if  Tomatoes  were  so  packed,  they  would 
be  utterly  destroyed. 

The  winter  or  fall  shipping  of  vegetables  is  the  reverse 
of  the  summer,  for  then  we  send  from  the  North  to  the 
South,  our-  colder  and  damper  atmosphere  being  more 
congenial  to  the  growth  of  late  crops.  Close  packages 
are  now  used,  but  still  not  too  large ;  barrels  being  best 
suited  to  such  articles  as  Beets,  Carrots,  Celery,  Onions, 
Parsnips,  Potatoes,  or  Turnips,  while  Cabbages  and  Cauli- 
flowers may  be  shipped  in  crates  or  in  bulks. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

PRESERVATION  OF  VEGETABLES  IN  WINTER. 


Our  manner  of  preserving  vegetable  roots  in  winter  is, 
I  think,  peculiar  to  this  district,  and  is  very  simple  and 
effective. 

After  taking  up  such  crops  as  Beets,  Cai-rots,  Horse- 
radish, Parsnips,  Turnips,  Potatoes,  etc.,  in  fall,  they  are 
put  in  temporary  oblong  heaps,  on  the  surface  of  the 
ground  on  which  they  have  been  growing,  and  covered  up 
with  5  or  6  inches  of  soil,  which  will  keep  off  such  slight 
frosts  as  are  likely  to  occur  until  time  can  be  spared  to 
put  them  in  permanent  winter  quarters ;  this  is  done  in 
this  section  usually  during  the  first  part  of  December,  in 
the  following  manner :  A  piece  of  ground  as  dry  as  pos- 
sible is  chosen ;  if  not  naturally  dry,  provision  must  be 
made  to  carry  off  the  water,  lower  than  the  bottom  of  the 
pit.  The  pit  is  dug  out  from  three  to  four  feet  deep, 
about  six  feet  wide,  and  of  the  length  required ;  the  roots 
are  then  packed  in  in  sections  of  about  two  feet  wide 
across  the  pit,  and  only  to  the  bight  of  the  ground  level. 
Between  the  sections,  a  space  of  half  a  foot  is  left,  which 
96 


PRESERVATION  OF  VEGETABLES  IN  WINTER.     97 

is  filled  up  with  the  soil  level  to  the  top;  this  leaves  the 
pit  filled  up  two  feet  wide  in  roots,  and  half  a  foot  of  soil, 
and  so  on  until  the  whole  is  finished.  The  advantage  of 
this  plan  is,  that  it  is  merely  a  series  of  small  pits,  holding 
from  three  to  five  barrels  of  roots,  which  can  be  taken  out 
for  market  without  exposing  the  next  section,  as  it  is 
closed  off  by  the  six  inches  of  soil  between.  Also,  that 
we  find  that  roots  of  all  kinds  keep  safer  when  in  small 
bulk,  than  when  large  numbers  are  thrown  into  one  pit 
together.  In  covering,  the  top  is  rounded  so  as  to  throw 
off  the  water,  with  a  layer  of  from  18  inches  to  2  feet  of 
soil.  This  way  of  preserving  roots,  with  perhaps  the  ex- 
ception of  Potatoes,  is  much  preferable  to  keeping  them 
in  a  cellar  or  root  house,  as  they  not  only  keep  fresher,  re- 
taining more  of  their  natural  flavor  and  color,  but  far 
fewer  of  them  are  lost  by  decay  than  when  exposed  to 
the  air  and  varying  temperature  of  a  cellar.  Unmatured 
heads  of  Cauliflower,  or  Broccoli,  however,  are  best  matur- 
ed in  a  light  cellar  or  cold  frame,  by  being  planted  in  close 
together ;  in  this  way,  good  heads  may  be  had  to  Janu- 
ary. Cabbages  are  preserved  very  simply ;  they  are  left 
out  as  late  as  they  can  be  pulled  up  by  the  roots,  in  this 
section  about  the  end  of  November,  they  are  then  pulled 
up  and  turned  upside  down  —  the  roots  up,  the  heads 
packed  close  together,  in  beds  six  feet  wide,  with  six  feet 
alleys  between,  care  being  taken  to  have  the  ground  lev- 
elled where  the  cabbages  are  placed,  so  that  they  pack 
nicely.  They  are  left  in  this  way  for  two  or  three  weeks, 
or  as  long  as  the  ground  can  be  dug  between  the  alleys, 
the  soil  from  which  is  thrown  in  on  the  beds  of  Cabbage, 
BO  that,  when  finished,  they  have  a  covering  of  four  or  six 


98  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

inches  of  soil.  This  is  not  enough  to  cover  the  root  how- 
ever, which  is  left  partly  exposed,  but  this  is  in  no  way 
injurious.  Some  prefer  to  cover  them  up  at  once  by  plow- 
ing a  furrow,  shoveling  it  out  wide  enough  to  receive  the 
heads  of  the  Cabbages,  then  turning  the  soil  in  on  the 
heads,  and  so  continuing  until  beds  of  six  or  eight  feet  are 
thus  formed.  This  plan  is  rather  more  expeditious  than 
the  former,  but  it  has  the  disadvantage  of  compelling 
them  to  be  covered  up  at  once  by  soil,  while  the  other  plan 
delays  it  two  or  three  weeks  later,  and  it  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  in  preserving  vegetables  that  the  operation 
(particularly  the  final  covering)  be  delayed  as  late  in  the 
season  as  frost  will  permit.  Generally  more  are  lost  by  be- 
ginning too  soon  than  delaying  too  late.  Onions,  we  find, 
are  best  preserved  in  a  barn  or  stable  loft,  in  layers  of 
from  8  to  10  inches  deep,  covered  up  with  about  a  foot  of 
hay  or  straw  on  the  approach  of  severe  frosts.  The  great 
points  to  be  attained  are  a  low  temperature  and  a  dry  at- 
mosphere ;  they  will  bear  20  degrees  of  frost  without  in- 
jury, provided  they  are  not  moved  while  frozen,  but  they 
will  not  stand  a  reduction  of  temperature  much  lower  than 
this  without  injury. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

INSECTS. 


We  have  but  little  trouble  with  insects  in  our  highly 
cultivated  grounds ;  what  with  continued  moving  of  the 
soil  by  plowing  and  harrowing  every  foot,  from  three  to 
four  times  each  season,  incessant  hoeing,  and  the  digging 
up  of  the  crops,  we  give  these  pests  but  little  chance  for  a 
foot-hold.  We  are,  however,  occasionally  troubled  with 
Aphides,  the  "  Green-fly,"  in  our  forcing  houses  of  Let- 
tuce. A  complete  remedy  for  this  trouble,  in  its  early 
stages,  is  smoke  from  burning  tobacco  stems;  or  tobacco 
stems  steeped  in  water  to  give  it  about  the  color  of  strong 
tea,  and  applied  with  a  syringe,  will  thoroughly  destroy 
them.  "Jumping  Jack,"  or  the  Turnip-fly,  occasions 
some  trouble  with  late  sowings  of  Cabbages,  Turnips, 
and  Radishes,  but  we  find  an  excellent  preventive  in  dust- 
ing lime  over  the  beds,  immediately  the  seeds  begin  to 
germinate.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  use  preven- 
tives in  the  case  of  insects,  for  if  once  they  get  a  lodge- 
ment, it  is  almost  useless  to  attempt  their  destruction. 
The  striped  Cucumber-bug,  which,  with  us,  attacks  late 
sowings  only,  we  have  found  to  yield  readily  to  a  few  ap- 
plications of  bone-dust,  which  serves  the  double  purpose 
of  disturbing  the  insect  and  encouraging  the  growth  of 
99 


100  GARDENING  FOE  PROFIT. 

the  crop.  But  our  most  formidable  enemy  of  the  insect 
tribe  is  that  which  attacks  the  roots  of  the  Cabbage  fam- 
ily, causing  the  destructive  disease  known  as  the  "  club- 
root."  There  is  a  general  misconception  of  the  cause  of 
this  disease ;  happily  our  peculiar  location  here,  gives  me 
the  means,  I  believe,  of  thoroughly  disproving  some  of 
these  absurd  dogmas,  that  club-root  is  caused  by  "  hog 
manure,"  "  heavy  soil,"  "  light  soil,"  etc.  I  do  not  doubt 
that  it  has  appeared  thousands  of  times  with  just 
such  conditions ;  yet,  within  three  miles  from  the  City 
Hall  of  New  York,  I  can  show  to-day,  on  the  classic 
shores  of  Communipaw,  scores  of  acres  that  have  been 
just  so  manured,  both  light  soils  and  heavy  soils,  that 
have  grown  Cabbages  for  twenty  consecutive  years,  and 
yet,  the  first  appearance  of  club-root  is  yet  to  be  seen. 
On  the  other  hand,  I  can  show  on  soils,  not  more  than  a 
mile  distant  from  those  on  the  Communipaw  shore,  where 
the  ground  is  cultivated  in  the  very  best  possible  manner, 
and  where  every  variety  of  manure  has  been  tried,  and 
yet  it  is  impossible  to  get  a  crop  of  Cauliflower  or  Cabbage 
clear  from  club-root  for  two  years  in  succession.  Now,  the 
reason  of  the  immunity  from  the  pest  on  the  one  variety 
of  the  soil,  and  not  on  the  other,  does  not,  to  us,  admit  of 
the  slightest  particle  of  doubt.  On  the  shore  side,  and 
for  nearly  a  mile  inland,  there  are  regular  deposits  of  oys- 
ter shell,  mixed  with  the  soil,  almost  as  we  find  pebbles  in  a 
gravelly  soil ;  now,  our  theory  is,  that  the  insect  which 
occasions  the  club-root,  cannot  exist  in  contact  with  the 
lime,  which  of  course  is  present  in  large  amount  in  a  soil, 
containing  such  abundance  of  oyster  shell.  Reasoning 
from  this,  we  have  endeavored  to  bring  up  soils  deficient  in 


INSECTS.  101 

shell,  by  heavy  dressings  of  lime ;  this  answered,  h'owever, 
only  temporarily,  and  we  found  it  too  expensive  to  con- 
tinue it.  The  increasing  demands  for  manures  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York,  has  rendered  them  of  late  years 
scarce  and  high  in  price,  so  that  we  were  necessitated  to 
begin  the  use  of  guano  and  other  concentrated  manures, 
and  as  this  was  rather  new  with  us  in  our  market  gardens, 
we  have  had  the  pleasure  of  some  very  interesting  experi- 
ments. Last  season,  in  my  grounds  at  Jersey  City,  where 
we  have  never  been  able  to  get  two  crops  of  Cabbages 
successively,  without  having  them  injured  by  club-root,  my 
foreman  suggested  to  me  to  experiment  with  a  bed,  of  about 
half  an  acre,  to  be  planted  with  early  Wakefield-  Cabbage. 
One-half  of  this  he  proposed  to  manure  at  the  rate  of 
75  tons  per  acre  with  stable  manure,  the  other  half  with 
flour  of  bone,  at  the  rate  of  2000  pounds  per  acre ;  this 
was  accordingly  done  in  the  usual  way,  by  sowing  the 
bone-dust  on  the  ground  after  plowing,  and  then  thoroughly 
harrowing  in.  During  the  month  of  May  we  could  see  no 
perceptible  difference  in  the  bed ;  but  just  as  soon  as  our 
first  hot  days  in  June  came,  down  wilted  the  portion  that 
had  been  dressed  with  stable  manure,  showing  a  well-de- 
fined line  the  whole  length  of  the  bed,  and,  on  pulling  the 
plants  up,  we  found  that  our  enemy  was  at  work,  while  in 
that  portion  that  had  been  dressed  by  the  bone-dust,  not 
a  wilted  plant  could  be  seen,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the 
crop  had  most  unusual  vigor.  This  experiment  has  been 
to  me  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  I  ever  tried ;  it  still 
further  proves,  that  this  destructive  insect  cannot  exist  to 
an  injurious  extent  in  a  soil  impregnated  with  lime,  and  also 
proves,  that  we  have  a  most  effective  remedy  in  this  valu- 


102  GARDENING  FOR  PROFIT. 

able  and  portable  manure.  The  experiment  was,  however, 
to  me  rather  a  costly  one ;  our  past  experience  told  us 
that  there  was  no  reason  to  expect  that  the  portion,  on 
which  the  stable  manure  was  used,  would  not  be  attacked 
by  club-root,  as  it  had  borne  a  crop  of  Cabbage  the  pre- 
vious year,  and  nearly  twenty  years'  working  of  that  soil 
had  shown  that  this  crop  could  never  be  grown  succes- 
sively two  years ;  but  experiments,  to  be  satisfactory,  must 
be  done  on  a  scale  of  some  magnitude,  and  although  I  lost 
some  $200  by  the  difference  in  the  crop,  I  believe  it  to 
have  been  a  profitable  investment. 

I  have  incidentally  stated  that  the  Cabbage  crop,  treated 
in  the  usual  manner,  can  only  be  grown  every  alternate 
year,  the  reason  of  which  we  infer  to  be,  that  the  insect 
is  harmless  to  the  plant  when  in  the  perfect  state  the  first 
season,  but  that  it  is  attracted  by  the  plant,  deposits  its 
eggs  in  the  soil,  and  that  in  the  larva  condition  in  which 
it  appears  the  second  year,  it  attacks  the  root.  Whether 
this  crude  theory  is  correct  or  not,  I  will  not  presume  to 
say,  but  if  it  is  not,  how  can  we  account  for  the  fact  of  our 
being  able  to  grow  this  plant,  free  from  its  ravages  every 
alternate  year,  while,  if  we  attempt  to  do  so  successively 
without  the  use  of  lime,  it  is  certain  to  be  attacked  ? 

All  authorities  on  gardening,  that  I  have  had  access  to, 
seem  to  be  unaware  of  the  fact  that  club-root  is  never  seen 
in  soils  impregnated  with  shells.  This  variety  of  soil  is 
not  common.  I  have  never  seen  it  anywhere  except  here, 
and  as  I  have  before  said,  this  peculiarity  of  location  most 
fortunately  gives  a  certain  clue  to  the  facts,  and  directly 
points  out  the  remedy,  which,  I  think,  we  have  found  to 
be  in  the  copious  use  of  bone-dust  as  manure. 


INSECTS.  103 

Another  enemy  of  the  Cabbage  plant  and  one  that  is 
sometimes  even  more  destructive  than  the  club  root,  is 
the  Cabbage  Caterpillar.  This  insect  is  comparatively  a 
new-comer,  having  been  imported  from  Europe  by  way 
of  Canada.  It  is  produced  by  the  small  white  butterfly 
that  is  seen  hovering  over  the  Cabbage  patches  in  spring. 
It  attacks  the  leaves  of  the  plant,  and  is  such  a  vora- 
cious feeder  that  it  will  quickly  destroy  a  whole  planta- 
tion. I  am  frequently  applied  to  for  a  remedy  for  this 
pest,  but  regret  to  say  I  know  of  none  that  is  certain. 
Nothing  is  more  difficult  and  unsatisfactory  than  the  at- 
tempt to  defeat  the  ravages  of  insects  in  the  open  field, 
and  I  have  yet  to  know  of  any  being  entirely  successful. 
In  the  long-cultivated  gardens  of  New  Jersey  and  Long 
Island  we  do  not  suffer  much  from  the  ravages  of  either 
of  the  above  pests.  The  soil  is  so  repeatedly  turned  over 
and  disturbed  that  I  presume  the  maggot  is  not  left  long 
enough  at  rest  to  develop  itself  in  sufficient  numbers  to 
produce  any  great  injury;  and  the  luxurious  growth  re- 
sulting from  the  continued  and  heavy  manuring  seems  to 
be  less  inviting  to  the  butterfly  to  deposit  her  eggs  than 
the  feebler  growth  of  less  fertile  soils.  Or  it  may  be  that 
the  increase  of  English  sparrows  is  helping  us  in  both 
these  cases,  by  destroying  the  fly  that  produces  the  mag- 
got, or  the  small  white  butterfly  that  produces  the  cater- 
pillar, or  it  may  be  that  they  feed  on  the  caterpillar  itself, 
as  I  know  they  do  with  the  rose-slug.  At  all  events,  the 
farmer  will  gain  by  encouraging  and  caring  for  the  spar- 
rows. A  few  years  ago  the  street  trees  of  New  York, 
Brooklyn,  and  Jersey  City  were  festooned  by  myriads  of 
the  "  measuring  worm " ;  now,  since  the  advent  of  the 


104  GARDENING   FOR  PROFIT. 

sparrows,  they  are  scarcely  ever  seen.  The  sparrows  will 
live  in  any  section  of  the  country  if  properly  housed  and 
fed  in  winter,  and  if  such  care  was  general,  we  should  hear 
fewer  complaints  of  insect  ravages.  True,  they  might 
exact  wages  for  their  services  in  requiring  a  little  grain, 
but  of  the  two  evils,  better  submit  to  that  done  by  the 
birds  than  to  the  insects. 

I  will  relate  an  experiment  to  destroy  the  Cabbage 
Caterpillar,  which  occurred  during  this  month  in  my  im- 
mediate neighborhood.  One  of  my  neighbors  found  that 
the  pest  was  attacking  his  Cabbages ;  he  came  to  me  and 
asked  what  I  thought  of  his  using  slaked  lime  to  dust 
over  them.  I  told  him  I  had  but  little  faith  in  it.  But 
he  was  resolved  to  try  it,  and  put  it  on  at  the  rate  of  four 
or  five  barrels  to  the  acre,  carefully  dusting  it  on  each 
plant.  This  was  about  the  1st  of  June.  On  the  17th  he 
came  to  me  in  triumph,  saying  that  the  remedy  had  been 
effectual,  and  that  there  was  hardly  a  caterpillar  to  be 
seen.  Unfortunately  for  the  experiment,  but  fortun- 
ately for  truth,  another  neighbor  whose  Cabbage  patch 
had  been  attacked  at  the  same  time,  but  had  received  no 
lime,  was  also  entirely  clear  of  the  caterpillar !  The  cure 
was  traceable  to  another  cause.  We  had  had  a  deluging 
rain,  that  swept  off  the  caterpillars  and  started  the  Cab- 
bages into  luxuriant  growth  at  the  same  time.  Had  the 
insect  come  in  the  legions  it  does  in  some  places,  had 
there  been  no  rain,  and  had  the  dry,  hot  weather  con- 
tinued, the  lime  dust  would  probably  have  failed. 

Last  summer  I  had  with  great  care  nursed  along  in  my 
greenhouses  for  many  weeks  a  collection  of  rare  varieties 
of  German  Stock  Gillyflowers,  a  plant  belonging  to  the 


INSECTS.  105 

same  natural  order  (Cruciferse)  as  the  Cabbage.  Upwards 
of  two  thousand  plants  were  set  out  in  June,  on  rather 
poor  soil ;  by  the  middle  of  July  they  had  made  splendid 
plants,  one  foot  across,  and  just  as  they  were  bursting 
into  bloom  we  observed  the  little  white  butterfly  moving 
amongst  them,  and  knew  what  might  be  expected  to  fol- 
low. Lime  dust,  solutions  of  carbolic  soap,  whale  oil 
soap,  and  sundry  other  things  were  used,  all  to  no  effect, 
and  by  middle  of  August  the  plants  were  literally  eaten 
up  by  the  caterpillar.  There  is  nothing  more  unpleasant 
than  to  tell  any  one  suffering  under  a  calamity  that  there 
is  no  tangible  remedy;  but  it  is  infinitely  better  to  do  so 
than  to  delude  them  with  a  false  one.  I  have  been  a 
worker  of  the  soil  since  my  boyhood,  and  every  year's 
experience  convinces  me  of  the  helplessness  of  remedies 
against  insects  or  other  blighting  plagues  that  attack 
vegetation  in  the  open  field.  It  is  true  that  the  amateur 
gardener  may  save  his  dozen  or  two  of  cabbages  or  roses 
by  daily  picking  off  or  destroying  the  insects ;  but  when 
it  comes  to  broad  acres,  I  much  doubt  if  ever  any  remedy 
will  be  found  to  be  practicable.  We  have  one  consolation 
in  knowing  that  these  pests  are  only  periodical,  and  never 
continue  so  as  to  permanently  destroy. 


CHAPTER 


VEGETABLES,    THEIK   VARIETIES   AND    CUL- 
TIVATION. 


In  describing  the  modes  of  cultivating  the  different  va- 
rieties of  vegetables,  I  shall  notice  at  length  only  those 
of  the  most  importance,  and  the  most  profitable  for  market 
purposes,  while  for  those  of  less  value  as  market  crops,  the 
directions  for  culture  will  be  such  as  are  adapted  to  private 
gardens  only. 

A  limited  number  of  kinds  will  be  described,  and  such 
only  as  our  experience  has  shown  to  possess  the  greatest 
earliness  and  productiveness.  Nothing  is  more  perplexing 
to  the  beginner,  than  to  be  bewildered  by  descriptions  of, 
perhaps  twenty,  so-called  varieties  of  a  vegetable,  that  per- 
haps, in  reality,  does  not  embrace  four  distinct  kinds.  For 
example,  ha  early  Cabbages,  there  are  some  hundred  or  more 
varieties  described;  yet  we  find,  after  having  experi- 
mented with  some  scores  of  kinds  in  our  time,  there  is 
one  variety  more  profitable  to  grow  than  any  other,  viz. 
the  Jersey  Wakefield,  which  is  grown  in  this  locality  to 
106 


VEGETABLES ASPARAGUS.  107 

the  exclusion  of  all  others.  However,  some  kinds  are 
found  to  do  better  in  some  localities  than  in  others,  hence, 
as  in  fruits,  no  particular  variety  should  be  claimed  to  be 
universally  the  best. 

ASPARAGUS.— (Asparagus  officinalis.) 

Asparagus  being  a  hardy  perennial  plant,  that  may  be 
grown  on  the  same  ground  for  twenty  years  without  re- 
newal, special  care  is  required  in  forming  the  beds  in 
which  it  is  to  grow.  This  is  done  sometimes  by  trench- 
ing to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  feet,  mixing  each  layer 
of  soil,  as  turned  over,  with  two  or  three  inches  of  well 
rotted  manure ;  but  for  market  purposes,  on  a  large  scale, 
trenching  is  seldom  resorted  to ;  deep  and  thorough  pul- 
verizing by  the  plow  and  subsoiler  serving  instead.  The 
soil  best  suited  for  Asparagus  is  a  deep  and  rather  sandy 
loam,  such  as  is  often  to  be  found  on  the  borders  of  mead- 
ows or  on  the  margins  of  lakes — land  formed  by  the  wash- 
ings of  the  higher  grounds,  and  known  as  alluvial. 

PROPAGATION. — Asparagus  is  propagated  by  seed  which 
is  sown  in  spring,  as  soon  as  the  soil  will  admit  of  working, 
which  should  be  prepared,  by  being  thoroughly  pul- 
verized, and  enriched  with  well-rotted  manure.  The  seed 
is  sown  in  rows  1  foot  apart,  and  if  kept  carefully  hoed, 
and  clear  from  weeds,  the  plants  will  be  in  fine  condition  to 
plant  out  the  succeeding  spring.  Strict  attention  to  this 
will  save  a  year  in  time ;  for  if  the  seed  bed  has  been  neg 
lected,  it  will  take  two  years  to  get  the  plants  as  large  as 
they  would  be  in  one  year,  if  they  had  been  properly  cared 
for.  In  consequence  of  this  very  common  neglect  of 
proper  cultivation  of  the  seed  bed,  it  is  an  almost  uni- 


108  GABDEN1NG   FOB   PROFIT. 

versal  impression  that  the  plants  must  be  two  or  three 
years  old  before  planting.  This  is  undoubtedly  an  error, 
for  almost  all  large  growers  for  market  purposes,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  New  York,  invariably  plant  one-year  old 
plants,  and  count  on  marketing  a  crop  the  third  spring 
from  the  time  of  sowing.  One  pound  of  seed  will  pro- 
duce about  3000  plants ;  and  to  plant  an  acre  of  Asparagus 
requires  from  15,000  to  20,000  plants  when  planted  close. 
PLANTING. — The  bed  being  prepared  as  previously  de- 
scribed, planting  may  be  done  any  time  for  six  or  eight 
weeks  from  the  opening  of  spring  ;  the  plant,  from  its  pecu- 
liar succulent  roots,  is  less  susceptable  of  injury  from  late 
planting  than  most  other  vegetables,  although  at  the  same 
time  delay  should  not  occur,  unless  unavoidable,  as  the 
sooner  it  is  planted  after  the  ground  is  in  working  order, 
the  better  will  be  the  result.  When  there  is  plenty  of  ground, 
and  the  crop  is  to  be  extensively  grown,  perhaps  the 
best  mode  of  planting  is  in  rows  3  feet  apart,  the  plants 
9  inches  apart  in  the  rows.  For  private  use,  or  for  market- 
ing on  a  small  scale,  beds  should  be  formed  5  feet  wide, 
with  three  rows  planted  in  each;  one  in  the  middle, 
and  one  on  each  side,  a  foot  from  the  edge ;  the  distance 
of  the  plants  in  the  rows,  9  inches;  the  alleys  between 
the  beds  should  be  2  feet  wide.  In  planting,  a  line  is  set 
and  a  cut  made,  a  little  slanting,  to  the  depth  of  6  or  8 
inches,  according  to  the  size  of  the  plants.  The  plants 
are  then  laid  against  the  side  of  the  trench,  at  the  distance 
already  named  —  9  inches  —  care  being  taken  to  properly 
spread  the  roots.  The  crown  or  top  of  the  plant  should 
be  covered  about  3  inches.  In  a  week  or  so  after  plant- 
ing, the  beds  should  be  touched  over  lightly  with  a  sharp 


VEGETABLES — ASPAEAGUS.  109 

steel  rake,  which  will  destroy  the  germinating  weeds. 
The  raking  had  better  be  continued  at  intervals  of  a  week 
or  so,  until  the  plants  start  to  grow,  when  the  hoe  may- 
be applied  between  the  rows  and  alleys ;  the  weeds  that 
come  up  close  to  the  plant,  must  of  necessity  be  pulled 
out  by  the  hand. 

In  the  first  edition  of  this  work  I  gave  it  as  my  belief 
that  we  had  only  one  variety  of  Asparagus,  and  that  all 
the  so-called  "giant"  and  "mammoth"  varieties  were 
merely  the  results  of  superior  soil  or  cultivation,  which 
on  being  propagated  by  seeds  or  otherwise  and  placed  in 
ordinary  conditions  of  culture,  would  fall  back  to  their 
original  or  normal  condition;  in  short,  that  the  species 
had  never  "  broke,"  as  we  technically  term  it. 

This  belief  necessarily  made  me  sceptical  to  the  claims 
of  the  "  Colossal "  when  that  variety_was  first  introduced, 
and  I  invariably  replied  to  all  inquirers  that  past  ex- 
perience in  this  matter  led  me  to  believe  that  it  was  no 
different  from  the  ordinary  sort. 

I  was  finally  invited  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  farm  of  Abra- 
ham Van  Siclen,  of  Jamaica,  Long  Island,  and  there  to 
inspect  an  acre  of  the  Oyster  Bay  Asparagus  (the  ordinary 
kind),  and  an  acre  of  his  "Colossal,"  which  Mr.  Van  Siclen 
had  planted  in  the  spring  of  1868,  each  then  one  year  old 
from  seed.  A  thorough  inspection  of  the  roots  of  each  lot 
proved  that  they  were  of  the  same  age.  The  soil  was 
next  examined,  and  found  to  be  as  near  the  same  as  it 
could  well  be,  yet  these  two  beds  of  asparagus  showed  a 
difference  that  left  me  no  longer  a  shadow  of  a  doubt  of 
their  being  entirely  distinct  varieties.  In  the  old  variety 
we  found  no  shoot  thicker  than  one  inch  in  diameter  and 


110  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

averaging  twenty  shoots  to  a  hill,  while  in  the  "  Colossal " 
many  shoots  were  found  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter 
and  averaging  thirty-five  shoots  to  a  hill — an  enormous 
growth,  when  it  is  remembered  the  plant  was  only  three 
years  from  the  seed. 

Mr.  Van  Siclen  is  well  known  as  one  of  our  best  Long 
Island  market  gardeners,  who  has  made  the  growing  of 
Asparagus  a  specialty  for  twenty  years,  and  who  has  prob- 
ably in  that  time  sold  more  Asparagus  in  the  markets  of 
New  York  than  any  other  man.  He  was  exceedingly  en- 
thusiastic in  praise  of  this  variety,  believing  that  at  a  low 
estimate  it  would  yield  a  profit  of  at  least  one-third  greater 
than  the  ordinary  sort,  under  the  same  conditions,  besides 
coming  to  maturity  two  years  sooner. 

Mr.  Van  Siclen's  method  of  growing  Asparagus  is  simple, 
and  in  some  respects  new  to  me.  To  begin,  he  sows  his 
seeds  in  his  rich  sandy  loam,  in  April,  in  rows  one  foot 
apart  and  two  inches  in  depth,  dropping  the  seeds  so  that 
they  may  be  distributed  evenly  about  half  an  inch  apart  j 
the  plants  are  cultivated  by  hoeing  between  the  rows  and 
keeping  them  clear  of  weeds  by  hand  picking.  In  the 
spring  following  he  sets  his  plants,  now  one  year  old, 
which  are  in  his  experience  preferable  to  those  two  years 
old.  His  mode  of  planting  is  somewhat  different  from  the 
usual  practice,  but  for  having  a  lasting  Asparagus  bed — 
one  that  will  be  as  good  at  the  end  of  twenty  years  as  it 
is  at  eight — it  is  certainly  the  best.  It  differs  in  putting 
the  roots  much  wider  apart  than  usual,  his  stand 
six  feet  between  the  rows  and  four  feet  between  the  plants, 
making  less  than  two  thousand  plants  to  an  acre.  In  pre- 
paring the  land  to  receive  the  plants,  he  merely  plows  to 


VEGETABLES — ASPARAGUS.  Ill 

the  depth  of  a  foot  or  so  with  the  ordinary  plow ;  his  soft, 
sandy  subsoil  rendering  the  use  of  the  subsoil  plow  un- 
necessary, but  in  soils  less  favored,  the  use  of  the  subsoil 
plow  would  be  of  decided  advantage.  In  preparing  to 
plant,  he  turns  out  a  furrow  with  a  double  mould-board  ' 
plow,  so  that  at  its  deepest  part  it  is  nearly  12  inches 
deep ;  a  good  shovelful  of  thoroughly  rotted  manure  is 
then  placed  in  the  furrow,  at  distances  of  four  feet,  so 
spread  that  it  will  make  a  layer-  of  three  inches  or  so ;  an 
inch  or  two  of  soil  is  then  thrown  on  the  top  of  the  manure 
and  the  Asparagus  planted  as  shown  in  the  engraving, 
and  so  deep  that  its  crown  is  seven  or  eight  inches  below 
the  surface  level.  The  plant  is  now  only  partially  covered 


Fig.  26. — MANNER  OF  PLANTING  ASPARAGUS. 

up  with  the  soil,  say  two  or  three  inches,  until  it  starts  to 
grow,  when  the  furrows  are  thrown  in  by  the  plow  so 
that  the  whole  surface  is  levelled,  which  places  the  crown 
of  the  Asparagus  some  seven  or  eight  inches  under  the 
surface.  This  would  be,  perhaps,  four  inches  too  deep  in 
heavy  soils,  but  in  light,  soft  soils  it  answers  well.  The 
first  and  second  seasons  after  planting,  no  Asparagus  is 
cut  for  market,  as  it  weakens  the  roots,  but  in  the  third 
year  a  partial  crop  is  taken,  although  the  beds  are  not 
considered  to  be  at  their  best  until  the  sixth  or  seventh 
year.  Their  productiveness  may  be  continued  for  twenty 
years  by  this  wide  system  of  planting,  recourse  being  had 


112  GAKDENLSTG   FOB   PKOFIT. 

to  manuring  freely  annually,  by  digging  or  plowing  it  in 
around  the  roots  before  the  crop  has  started  to  grow,  or 
after  it  is  cut. 

I  may  here  mention  that  Mr.  Van  Siclen  has  also  a 
white  form  of  the  Colossal  which  he  has  carefully  selected 
and  preserved  for  several  years  past.  It  is  entirely  dis- 
tinct from  the  "Purple  Top  "  variety,  and  we  are  sanguine 
that  it  will  perpetuate  its  distinctive  quality.  If  so,  we 
shall  have  a  most  desirable  novelty  of  this  popular  vege- 
table, which  will  be  duly  announced  as  soon  as  its  per- 
manency of  character  is  ascertained. 

THE  APPLICATION"  OP  SALT  to  Asparagus  as  a  top- 
dressing,  is  of  great  benefit  in  inland  districts,  out  of  the 
range  of  a  saline  atmosphere ;  but  is  of  little  or  no  benefit 
in  the  vicinity  of  salt  water.  When  used,  it  should  be 
applied  in  spring  only,  at  the  rj^te  of  from  2  to  3  Ibs.  per 
square  yard,  strown  on  the  surface ;  the  rains  will  dissolve 
it  and  wash  it  down  to  the  roots.  Besides  its  beneficial 
effects  upon  the  plant,  it  is  destructive  to  the  wire  worm, 
and  other  insects  that  are  often  troublesome  to  the  As- 
paragus. 

"We  have  found  Asparagus  beds  very  profitably  benefit- 
ed by  the  application  of  superphosphate  of  lime,  as  a 
spring  top-dressing,  applied  at  the  rate  of  500  Ibs.  per 
acre,  sown  on  the  beds  and  hoed  in.  Experiments  with 
this,  on  alternate  rows,  showed  a  difference  of  nearly  I  foot 
in  hight  of  the  stalk,  in  favor  of  the  rows  to  which  the 
superphosphate  had  been  applied,  over  those  which  had 
none ;  and  a  difference  of  nearly  double  the  product  when 
the  crop  was  cut  in  the  succeeding  spring. 

The  fall  treatment  of  the  Asparagus  beds  varies  with 


VEGETABLES ASPARAGUS,  113 

the  locality ;  in  cold  regions,  where,  if  left  unprotected, 
the  frost  would  penetrate  below  the  roots,  a  covering  of  3 
or  4  inches  of  rough  manure  or  leaves  is  necessary.  Al- 
though an  entirely  hardy  plant,  it  will  start  earlier,  and 
with  greater  vigor  in  spring,  if  the  root  has  not  been  sub- 
jected to  severe  freezing.  In  milder  sections,  no  such 
precaution  is  necessary;  all  that  need  be  done  is  to  clear 
off  the  stems  as  soon  as  they  are  withered  in  the  fall,  and 
clean  the  beds  preparatory  to  giving  a  dressing  of  2  or  3 
inches  of  manure,  which  had  better  not  be  applied  until 
spring.  "We  believe  the  common  practice  of  top-dressing 
Asparagus  beds  in  fall  to  be  a  very  wasteful  one,  in  dis- 
tricts where  it  is  not  necessary  to  provide  against  severe 
freezing,  for,  as  the  plant  is  then  dormant,  the  juices  of 
the  manure  are  either  evaporated,  or  else  washed  down 
by  rains  below  the  roots  of  the  plant.  I  remember,  many 
years  ago,  having  three  small  Asparagus  beds  under  my 
charge,  on  one  of  which  I  applied  in  December  25  Ibs.  of 
Peruvian  guano,  dissolved  in  fifty  gallons  of  water ;  in 
April  the  same  application  was  made  to  another  bed,  and 
the  other  was  left  without  anything.  There  was  no  per- 
ceptible difference  between  that  to  which  the  liquid  had 
been  applied  in  December  and  that  to  which  none  had 
been  given,  but  on  that  which  received  it  in  April,  nearly 
double  the  weight  of  crop  was  produced.  Since  then,  all 
our  practice,  corroborated  by  direct  experiment,  has  con- 
vinced me  beyond  all  doubt,  that  manures,  either  liquid  or 
solid,  organic  or  inorganic,  are  unprofitably  employed 
when  applied  to  plants  in  the  dormant  state. 

In  gathering  the  crop,  caution  must  be  used  not  to  in- 
jure the  plants  by  continued  cutting ;  for  it  must  be  borne 


114  GARDENING   FOK   PKOFIT. 

in  mind,  that  to  reproduce  annually  its  crop  of  shoots  in 
spring,  something  must  be  left  to  grow  to  encourage  the 
formation  of  fresh  roots.  In  our  market  gardens,  the 
practice  is  to  cut  off  all  the  shoots  as  they  are  ready,  un- 
til the  middle  of  May  or  1st  of  June,  when  the  shoots  be- 
gin to  show  signs  of  weakness ;  then  all  is  left  to  grow 
and  no  more  cut.  In  its  preparation  for  market,  the 
shoots  are  tied  up  in  round  bunches,  containing  from 
twenty  to  thirty  shoots  in  each.  The  tying  material  is 
usually  bass-matting,  as  that  is  soft  and  has  the  necessary 
strength.  It  requires  a  little  practice  to  do  the  "  bunch- 
ing "  rapidly,  and  it  should  be  the  object  of  the  beginner 
to  strive  to  attain  this,  as  it  is  light  work,  and  continued 
slowness  in  the  operation  will  make  a  serious  gap  in  the 
profits. 

The  size  of  the  bunch  is  governed  by  the  abundance 
of  the  Asparagus ;  nine  inches  in  length  by  five  inches  in 
diameter  being  the  usual  size.  Uniformity  in  the  bunches 
is  secured  by  the  use  of  a  buncher,  the  simplest  of  which 
is  made  by  setting  four  small  stakes  about  six  inches 
long  upright  in  a  bench,  in  the  form  of  a  square,  about 
four  inches  apart  each  way.  The  strings  being  laid  down 
the  shoots  are  piled  up  between  the  stakes,  which  hold 
them  in  place  until  the  strings  are  tied ;  the  but-ends  are 
then  cut  off  square.  Some  quite  ingenious  Asparagus 
bunchers  have  been  invented ;  these  subject  the  shoots  to 
sufficient  pressure  to  make  a  close,  neat  bunch. 

This  crop  is  subject  to  so  many  conditions,  that  an 
average  value  can  hardly  be  given ;  some  of  our  growers 
here  claim  that  it  pays  an  annual  clear  profit  of  $1,000  per 
acre,  while  others  say  that  it  does  not  pay  them  over  1200 


VEGETABLES — ASPABAGTJS. 


115 


per  acre.  During  a  period  of  ten  years,  counting  from 
the  time  the  bed  was  planted,  it  is  safe  to  say  that,  in  this 
vicinity,  the  average  profits  per  acre  will  be  $400.  It  is  a 
crop  that  never  fails  to  sell,  is  always  productive  if  pro- 
perly treated,  and  having  a  great  value  for  its  weight — a 
ton  often  being  worth  from  $200  to  $400 — it  is,  in  all 
respects,  a  valuable  crop  for  the  market  gardener. 

In  some  localities,  especially  on  Long  Island,  the  As- 
paragus beetle  ( Crioceris  asparagi]  has  injured  the  crop 
to  such  an  extent  as  to  cause  whole 
plantations  to  be  plowed  under. 
When  the  beetle  first  appears,  it  may 
be  controlled  by  picking  it  off  and 
destroying  it ;  but  if  allowed  to  be- 
come established,  the  task  is  hope- 
less. The  engraving  (fig.  27)  shows 
the  insect  in  its  different  stages.  The 
lower  figure  is  a  part  of  a  branch, 
with  the  small  black  eggs  attached 
by  their  ends ;  these  are  given  of  the 
natural  size,  and  magnified.  The 
larva,  or  caterpillar,  as  well  as  the 
perfect  beetle,  are  shown  at  the  top 
of  the  engraving ;  the  natural  size  of 
these  is  indicated  by  the  lines  drawn  at  the  side.  "When- 
ever the  eggs  or  the  Iarva3  appear,  cut  and  burn  the 
plants,  as  long  as  any  traces  of  the  insect  are  to  be  seen ; 
this  must  be  done  if  it  destroys  every  vestige  of  vegeta- 
tion. A  remedy  much  in  use  in  some  sections,  is  to  coop 
up  hens  in  the  vicinity  of  Asparagus  beds,  and  let  the 
chickens  out  to  pick  up  the  larvae  and  insects. 


Fig.  27. — ASPARAGUS 

BEETLE. 


116 


GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 


ARTICHOKE.— (Gynara  Scolymus.) 

Although  a  vegetable  as  yet  rarely  seen  in  our  markets, 
it  is  extensively  used  in  Europe,  particularly  in  France. 
The  portion  of  the  plant  most  used,  is  the  undeveloped 
flower-head,  or  rather  those  portions  of  the  flower-head 
called  the  scales  of  the  involucre.  They  are  sometimes 

boiled,  and  used  as  a  sal- 
ad, with  vinegar,  oil,  and 
salt ;  but  more  generally 
in  the  raw  state. 

Another  use  of  the 
Artichoke  is  to  blanch  it, 
by  tying  the  young  side 
shoots  moderately  close 
together,  as  we  tie  En- 
dive, filling  in  between 
with  soil  to  exclude  the 
air  until  the  shoots  are 
blanched ;  this  is  what  is 
known  as  "  Artichoke 
Salad,"  or  "Artichoke 
Chard,"  it  is  used  in 
this  state  in  various 
forms  of  cookery,  besides 

Fig.  28.-ORBBK  GLOBE  ARTICHOKE.        bemg  UBefl  ag  a  ^\^ 

It  is  a  vegetable  of  easy  culture,  originally  propagated 
from  seeds,  until  a  stock  is  secured,  after  which  it  is  read- 
ily increased  by  suckers  from  the  root.  These  are  planted 
out  in  April  or  May,  in  rows  from  3  to  4  feet  apart,  and  2 
feet  between  the  plants,  care  being  taken  that  the  plants 
are  well  firmed  in  planting,  and  if  the  weather  is  drv, 


VEGETABLES — ARTICHOKE. 

they  must  be  freely  watered  until  they  start  to  grow. 
The  plantation,  the  first  season,  will  only  give  a  partial 
crop;  but,  as  it  is  a  perennial  plant,  after  being  once 
planted,  the  same  bed  will  remain  in  bearing  for  years. 
The  plant  may  be  said  to  be  entirely  hardy  south  of 
Mason  and  Dixon's  Line,  but  north  of  that,  it  requires  to 
be  protected  by  covering  between  the  plants,  with  6  or  8 
inches  of  leaves  or  coarse  manure. 

THE  VARIETIES  are  the  Green  Globe,  and  Common 
Green,  differing  but  little,  except  in  the  form  of  the  flow- 
er-bud, the  former  being  globular,  the  latter  conical.  It 
is  claimed  by  some  that  the  Common  Green  is  more  hardy 
and  productive,  but  we  have  grown  them  side  by  side  for 
years,  and  never  have  observed  any  difference,  except  the 
very  trifling  one  in  the  shape  of  the  flower-bud. 


ARTICHOKE.— JERUSALEM.— (Helianthus  tuberosus.) 

This  is  an  entirely  different  plant  from  the  true  Arti- 
choke, though  it  resembles  it  somewhat  in  flavor — hence 
its  name.  As  it  is  very  often  confounded  with  the  true 
Artichoke,  we  give  an  engraving  of  both.  This  one  is 
a  species  of  Selianthits^  or  Sun-flower,  and  the  plant  has 
the  general  appearance  of  a  small  Sunflower.  The  edible 
part  of  the  plant  is  its  tubers.  These  are  like  the  potato 
in  appearance,  but  when  cooked,  to  the  taste  of  most  peo- 
ple, are  very  inferior  in  flavor.  Their  nutritive  value  is 
said,  however,  to  be  fully  equal  to  that  of  the  potato. 
Used  in  the  raw  state,  it  is  pickled  like  the  cucumber,  or 
sliced,  and  eaten  with  vinegar  as  a  salad,  but  as  a  culinary 


118  GARDENING  FOB   PROFIT. 

vegetable  is  but  little  grown,  except  for  variety  or  novelty. 
Its  culture  is,  in  all  respects,  similar  to  the  potato,  but 
it  is  more  productive,  always  free  from  disease,  will  grow 
almost  in  any  soil  or  situation,  and  will  stand  the  winter 
on  light  soils  wherever  a  Parsnip  crop  will  stand;  for 


Fig.  29.— JERUSALEM  ARTICHOKE. 

these  reasons  it  has  been  suggested  that  it  might  prove  a 
valuable  food  for  cattle,  or  pigs,  who  eat  it  as  freely  as 
potatoes,  when  boiled. 

There  are  several  varieties  known  as  Red,  Purple,  Yel- 
low, and  White  Skinned. 


BASIL.— (Ocimum  Basilicum.) 

An  herb  of  a  highly  aromatic  odor,  and  a  strong  flavor 
of  cloves.  It  is  used  for  flavoring  soups,  stews,  and 
sauces,  and  is  by  some  used  in  salads.  Its  culture  is  the 
same  as  that  of  other  sweet  herbs.  The  seed  should  be 
sown  in  the  open  ground,  and  not  in  frames,  which  is  the 
English  practice,  and  necessary  there  from  their  colder 
climate.  Sow  in  rows  1  foot  apart ;  when  3  or  4  inches 
high,  it  may  be  transplanted  in  rows  1  foot  apart,  and  6 
inches  between  plants.  If  a  small  quantity  only  is  re- 
quired, it  may  be  thinned  out  in  the  seed  rows,  and  left  to 
grow  where  sown. 


VEGETABLES — BEAN.  119 

There  are  two  species  cultivated,  namely,  the  Common 
Sweet  Basil,  (Ocimum  JBasilicum),  and  the  Bush  Basil, 
(0.  minimum). 


BALM.— (Melissa  offidnalis.) 

Another  well-known  aromatic  herb,  which  has  a  very 
agreeable  lemon-like  odor.  It  is  used  as  a  tea  for  its  sooth- 
ing  effect  in  irritations  of  the  throat  and  lungs,  and  a  cen- 
tury ago  was  used  as  a  specific  for  coughs  and  colds.  Its 
young  shoots  are  sometimes  used  as  an  ingredient  in 
salads.  It  is  rapidly  propagated  by  divisions  of  the  root, 
which,  planted  in  spring,  at  1  foot  apart  each  way,  will 
form  a  solid  mass  by  fall. 

Besides  the  common  kind,  we  have  now  in  cultivation 
a  beautiful  variegated  variety,  possessing  all  the  properties 
of  the  other. 


BEAN.— (Phaseolus  nanus.)— Busn,  KIDNEY,  OB  SNAP. 
A  leading  vegetable  of  our  market  gardens,  and  ex- 
tensively cultivated  in  every  section  of  the  country 
North  and  South.  Although  it  can  be  grown  on  soils  that 
are  not  enriched  by  manure,  yet,  like  almost  every  other 
vegetable,  it  is  more  profitable  when  grown  on  highly  cul- 
tivated land.  It  is,  what  we  term,  a  "tender"  plant; 
that  is,  one  that  will  be  killed  by  the  action  of  slight 
frosts,  hence  it  is  not  planted  until  late  enough  in  the 
spring,  to  secure  it  from  the  risk.  As  in  a  country  pre- 
senting such  differences  of  temperature  as  ours,  no  stated 
date  can  be  given  at  which  to  sow,  perhaps  no  safer  rule 


120  GARDENING  FOE  PEOPTT. 

can  be  adopted  for  sowing  all  "  tender  "  vegetables  for  all 
parts  of  the  country,  than  the  time  at  which  our  great  sta- 
ple, Indian  Corn,  is  planted.  This  rule  will  be  equally  in- 
telligible to  the  inhabitants  of  Maine  and  to  those  of  South 
Carolina,  for  all  plant  Corn  and  know,  that  our  great 
enemy  to  early  vegetation,  "  Jack  Frost,"  will,  without 
scruple,  smite  this  "tender"  vegetable  if  it  be  forced  to 
grow  before  his  icy  reign  is  past.  In  this  section,  we  plant 
Beans  for  first  crop  when  we  plant  Corn,  from  10th  to  20th 
May.  But  as  the  crop  of  Beans  comes  rapidly  to  maturity, 
under  favorable  circumstances,  in  five  or  six  weeks,  it  may 
be  sown  any  time  from  these  dates  until  July,  August,  or 
September,  according  to  the  temperature  of  the  district. 

The  culture  in  market  gardens,  is  simply  to  draw  drills 
about  3  inches  deep,  and  from  18  inches  to  2  feet  apart, 
according  to  the  richness  of  the  soil ;  the  poorer  the  soil, 
the  closer  they  can  be  planted.  The  seed  is  dropped  in 
the  drills  2  or  3  inches  apart,  and  the  soil  covered  in  on 
them  with  the  feet ;  this  we  find  to  be  a  quicker  and  bet- 
ter method  of  covering  in  seeds  of  this  size,  than  by  the 
hoe  or  rake.  After  the  plants  have  grown  an  inch  or 
two,  a  cultivator  is  run  between  the  rows,  which  gener- 
ally is  all  that  is  necessary  to  be  done,  until  they  are 
large  enough  to  have  a  little  earth  thrown  to  each  side  of 
the  row  by  the  plow,  which  completes  their  cultivation. 
Beans,  like  Tomatoes  and  Peas,  are  easy  of  cultivation,  and 
not  at  all  particular  to  soil,  and  are,  in  consequence,  rarely 
a  profitable  crop  in  the  locality  in  which  they  are  grown  ; 
hence  the  only  way  in  which  they  are  made  profitable  is, 
by  growing  South  and  shipping  North,  they  being  easily 
transported.  Large  quantities  are  grown  in  early  soils 


VEGETABLES — BEAN.  121 

in  southern  sections  of  the  country,  and  shipped  to  our 
large  northern  cities,  and  meet  a  rapid  sale,  at  prices  that 
must  pay  a  large  profit,  if  their  manner  of  growing  the 
crop  is  as  simple  as  ours.  It  will  be  understood  that  thi 
crop  is  almost  exclusively  sold  in  pod,  as  snap  shoots,  (in 
the  green  unripened  state),  by  the  hucksters,  and  rarely 
as  a  shell  bean. 

The  varieties  are  now  very  numerous,  but  the  following, 
placed  in  what  we  consider  the  order  of  their  vajue  to  the 
market  gardener,  will  embrace  variety  enough  for  all 
practical  purposes. 

Early  Valentine. — Early,  productive,  tender,  succulent, 
and  of  excellent  flavor;  continuing  longer  in  the  green 
state  than  most  of  the  varieties.  Seeds,  when  ripe,  sal- 
mon, speckled  with  purplish-rose.  This  variety  is  often 
marketable  in  six  weeks  from  the  time  of  sowing  in  May. 

Early  China. — Rather  earlier  than  the  preceding,  but 
hardly  so  productive;  the  pods  become  yellow  quicker, 
which  makes  it  not  so  valuable  as  a  market  variety.  It  is, 
however,  grown  by  some  in  preference  to  the  Valentine, 
it  being  considered  a  few  days  earlier.  Seeds,  when  ripe, 
white,  purple  speckled. 

Early  Mohawk. — This  variety  is  the  most  suitable  for 
northern  latitudes,  as  it  is  less  susceptible  of  injury  from 
cold  than  most  of  the  others ;  it  is  very  productive,  with 
pods  five  or  six  inches  long,  but  is  not  recommended  as  an 
early  variety.  Seeds  drab,  with  purple  spots. 

Early  Fijee, — A  remarkably  early  and  prolific  variety, 
known  also  as  White's  Early.  It  is  the  hardiest  and  de- 
cidedly one  of  the  best  brush  beans  grown.  Seeds  drab 
or  light  slate  color,  marked  and  spotted  with  light  drab. 


122  '        GABDENING   FOB   PBOFIT. 

Black  Wax* — This  is  a  comparatively  new  variety.  The 
pods  when  ripe  are  of  a  waxy  yellow,  transparent,  very 
tender  and  of  excellent  quality. 

Refugee,  or  Thousand  to  One, — Very  productive, 
though  not  early ;  young  pods  extremely  tender  and  of 
fine  flavor.  This  variety  is  very  extensively  grown  for 
pickling,  and  has  long  been  a  standard  sort.  Seeds,  dull 
yellow,  speckled  with  purple. 

White  Marrowfat. — This  variety  is  the  one  so  exten- 
sively grown  for  sale  in  the  dry  state ;  it  is  also  valued  as 
a  string  bean,  but  is  used  to  greater  extent  shelled,  either 
green  or  dried.  Seeds  large,  ivory  white. 

Newington  Wonder. — A  remarkably  productive  sort 
and  valued  for  private  gardens.  It  is  the  best  variety  for 
forcing.  The  pods  are  very  crisp  and  tender;  the  ripe 
seeds  are  light-brown,  with  a  yellowish  line  near  the  eye. 

BEAN.— (Phaseolus  vulgwis,  etc.)— RUNNING,  OK  POLE. 

These  require  rather  more  care  in  culture-  than  the 
Bush  Beans.  The  soil  best  suited  is  sandy  loam,  which 
should  be  liberally  enriched  with  short  manure  in  the  hills, 
which  are  formed,  according  to  the  variety,  from  3  to  4 
feet  apart,  and  provided  with  a  stake  from  8  to  9  feet  in 
hight,  set  in  the  centre  of  each.  This  class  of  beans  is 
particularly  tender,  and  it  is  perfectly  useless  to  plant  the 
needs  before  the  weather  has  become  settled  and  warm 
in  spring,  as  they  are  almost  certain  to  rot,  and  even 
should  they  not,  the  plant  makes  no  growth,  unless  in  un- 
interrupted warm  weather.  In  this  district,  they  sho  -vld 


VEGETABLES — BEAN.  123 

lever  be  planted  out  until  a  week  or  more  after  the  plant- 
ing of  Bush  Beans ;  if  planted  at  the  same  time,  10th  of 
May,  they  are  almost  certain  to  fail. 

From  five  to  six  seeds  are  planted  in  each  hill,  about  2 
inches  deep.  Being  a  vegetable  requiring  considerable 
expense  in  growing,  staking,  picking,  etc.,  it  brings  a  cor- 
respondingly high  price  p«r  acre  in  market ;  but  maturing 
during  the  heat  of  summer,  the  advantage  of  earliness  in 
this  crop  is  not  so  manifest  as  in  many  others.  The  prof- 
its per  acre  average  about  $250,  when  sold  for  consump- 
tion in  the  locality  in  which  it  is  grown.  Shipped  from 
earlier  sections  it,  no  doubt,  would  double  the  above 
amount.  There  are  many  varieties,  but  only  a  few  of 
leading  value. 

Large  White  Lima. — This  is  almost  universally  grown 
both  for  market  and  for  private  use.  It  is  esteemed  the 
best  of  all  the  pole  beans. 

Dutch  Case  Knife. — A  very  productive  variety,  with 
long  and  broad  pods ;  it  is  of  excellent  flavor,  and  next 
to  the  Lima,  is  the  best  market  sort. 

Indian  Chief,  or  Algerian  Wax.— One  of  the  best 
varieties,  either  for  snaps  or  shelled  in  the  green  state ; 
its  tender,  succulent  and  richly  colored  pods  are  much  es- 
teemed ;  they  are  produced  in  great  abundance,  and  con- 
tinue fit  for  use  longer  than  most  varieties.  In  moist 
seasons 'they  remain  crisp  and  tender  until  the  seeds  have 

grc-wn  sufficiently  to  be  used  in  the  green  state. 

• 
Giant  Wax. — A  new  variety ;    pods  from  six  to  nine 

inches  long,  clear  waxy  yellow,  thick  and  fleshy,  very 
productive ;  tender  and  of  good  flavor ;  seeds  red. 


124  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

London  Horticultural, — A  very  popular  variety  for 
private  use,  as  it  is  equally  serviceable  in  the  green  state, 
or,  when  mature  enough,  to  shell.  Seeds  oval,  marbled 
with  purplish-brown. 

Scarlet  Runner.  —  A  great  favorite  in  European 
gardens,  both  as  an  ornamental  plant  and  a  useful 
vegetable.  It  grows  to  the  height  of  9  or  10  feet,  pro- 
ducing dazzling  scarlet  flowers,  from  July  to  October. 
Used  as  String  Beans,  and  shelled.  Seeds  lilac,  mottled 
with  black.  In  the  warmer  portions  of  this  continent, 
where  it  is  a  native,  this  species  is  perennial,  with  a  fleshy 
root ;  those  who  grow  the  plant  for  ornament  sometimes 
take  up  the  roots  and  preserve  them  through  the  winter, 
like  Dahlia  roots.  There  is  a  variety  with  white  flowers 
and  seeds. 


BEET.— (Beta  vulgaris.) 

This  is  one  of  the  leading  and  most  valuable  crops  of 
our  market  gardens,  and  next  to  Cabbages,  is  perhaps  the 
most  extensively  grown  as  an  early  crop.  The  soil  best 
suited,  is  that  which  is  rather  light  than  otherwise,  always 
provided  that  it  is  thoroughly  enriched  by  manure.  "We 
make  little  difference  in  the  manner  of  working  or  manur 
ing  the  ground  for  any  of  our  leading  early  crops ;  the 
ground  must,  in  all  cases,  be  thoroughly  pulverized  by 
plowing,  subsoiling,  and  harrowing,  and  when  stable  ina- 
nui-e  can  be  procured,  plowed  in  at  the  rate  of  75  or  100 
tons  per  acre.  If  stable  manure  cannot  be  had,  the  next 
best  substitutes  must  be  used  in  the  quantities  specified 


VEGETABLES — BEET.  125 

eee  Chapter  on  Manures.  As  early  in  spring  as  the  ground 
becomes  fit  to  work,  the  Beets  are  usually  sown  in  rows 
1  foot  apart,  made  by  the  "marker,"  about  3  inches  deep. 
"We  prefer  to  sow  rather  thickly,  not  less  than  8  Ibs.  per 
acre,  for  the  reason  that  late  frosts  often  kill  off  a  portion 
of  the  young  plants,  but  when  sown  thickly,  enough  is 
generally  left  to  make  a  crop,  which  amply  repays  the  dif- 
ference of  a  few  pounds  of  seed.  After  sowing,  the  drills 
are  covered  in  by  the  feet,  by  walking  along  the  rows,  af- 
ter the  bed  is  completed ;  if  the  weather  is  dry,  the  whole 
is  rolled,  which  better  firms  the  soil  around  the  seed  and 
also  leaves  the  ground  level,  making  it  easier  to  be  hoed. 
Beets  are  occasionally  planted  2  feet  apart,  and  the  inter- 
vening row  sown  with  Radishes;  the  Radishes  mature 
early,  and  are  used  or  sold  off  soon  enough  to  admit  of 
more  room  for  the  Beet  crop.  It  makes  with  us  but  lit- 
tle difference  in  the  profits  of  the  crop  which  way  it  is 
done,  the  results  being  nearly  the  same  in  each  case;  but 
hi  places  where  limited  quantities  ol  vegetables  only  can 
be  disposed  of,  perhaps  the  latter  plan  is  the  best.  The 
young  Beets  are  thinned  out  to  6  inches  apart  when  the 
rows  are  1  foot  apart,  but  when  at  2  feet  to  only  4  inches, 
as  they  have  more  space  between  'the  rows  for  air.  Tho 
thinnings  of  the  Beets  are  used  like  Spinach,  and  when 
carefully  handled,  the  thinnings  will  always  sell  for  more 
than  the  price  of  the  labor  of  thinning  the  crop. 

In  this  neighborhood,  Beets  sown  first  week  in  April, 
are  begun  to  be  marketed  the  first  week  in  June,  and  en- 
tirely cleared  off  by  July  1st,  when  the  ground  is  prepar- 
ed for  the  second  crop.  It  will  be  understood  that  they 
are  at  this  early  date  sold  in  an  immature  state,  before  the 


126  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

root  has  reached  complete  development,  but  the  great 
point  is  earliness ;  the  public  being  well  satisfied  to  pay 
more  for  it  half-grown,  if  early,  than  when  full  grown,  if 
late. 

This  crop  I  have  always  considered  a  very  profitable 
one,  even  at  the  seemingly  low  price  of  $1  per  100  rootSj 
fee  average  wholesale  price  in  New  York  markets.  But 
80,000  roots  are  grown  per  acre  when  sown  at  1  foot  apart, 
and  although  the  labor  of  pulling  and  bunching  up  is 
greater  than  in  some  crops,  yet,  at  $1  per  100,  it  will  give 
an  easy  profit  of  $400  per  acre. 

Beets  are  an  excellent  article  to  ship,  and  the  price  paid 
in  New  York,  for  the  first  lots  from  Savannah  and  Norfolk, 
etc.,  is  often  as  high  as  $3  per  100  roots. 

The  foregoing  all  relates  to  the  crop  in  the  green  state 
for  an  early  market,  but  they  are  also  extensively  grown 
for  use  in  fall,  winter,  and  spring.  For  this  they  are  usu- 
ally sown  later,  often  in  some  sections  as  a  second  crop,  as 
late  as  July  1st,  although  in  the  Northern  States  the  roots 
hardly  develop  enough  when  sown 
after  June.  The  manner  of  saving 
them  in  winter,  will'  be  found  under 
the  head  of  Preserving  Vegetables 
in  Winter. 

The  really  useful  varieties  of  Beets 
are  very  limited  in  number,  and  are 
embraced  in  the  following,  arranged 
Fig.  30.— EARLY  BLOOD  as  usual,  according  to  their  merit  as 

TURNIP  BEET.         market  sorts. 

Egyptian  Turnip, — This  variety  has  proved  to  be  a  most 
valuable  acquisition,  being  from  10  to  12  days  earlier  than 


VEGETABLES — BEET. 


127 


the  old  Blood  Turnip.  The  roots  are  large  in  size,  and  of  a 
rich  deep  crimson  color ;  from  the  smallness  of  the  tops  of 
the  Egyptian  at  least  one  fourth  more  can  be  grown  on 
the  same  space  than  we  have  been  in  the  habit  of  raising. 
TV  e  have  had  some  difficulty  in  obtaining  the  seed  of  this 
variety  pure  for  the  past  two  years,  the  demand  for  it 
having  been  so  great  as  to  induce  adulteration  with  inferior 
kinds  by  foreign  growers,  but  it  is  now 
being  largely  grown  in  this  country,  and 
will  probably  supersede  all  other  varie- 
ties, both  for  market  and  private  gardens 
where  earliness  is  the  object. 

Early  Blood  Turnip,— The  standard 
early  variety.  Later  than  the  Bassano, 
but  being  of  richer  color,  it  at  once 
supplants  it  in  market,  soon  as  it  comes 
in,  which  is  usually  in  three  or  four  days 
after  that  variety. 

BassanOi — The  earliest  of  all  known 
varieties ;  outside  color  light  red ;  flesh 
•white,  veined  with  pink.  Its  earliness  is 
its  only  merit,  as  it  is  coarser  in  flesh 
than  the  deep  colored  varieties.  The 
proportionate  quantity  sown  for  market 

purposes   should  not    be  more  than   one   sixth   of   the 

preceding. 

Dewing's  Improved  Blood  Turnip,— This  is  an  improved 
variety  of  the  Early  Blood  Turnip,  and  is  one  of  the  best 
of  the  early  round  varieties.  The  roots  are  deep  blood 
red,  of  fine  form  and  flavor.  An  excellent  market  sort. 


Fig.  31.— LONG, 

SMOOTH    BLOOD 
BEST. 


128  GAKDEJS1NG   FOB   PROFIT. 

Long  Smooth  Blood,— A  great  improvement  on  the 
Common  Blood  Beet,  being  less  strong  and  freer  from  root- 
lets, besides  being  a  week  earlier.  It  is  now  grown  here 
to  the  entire  exclusion  of  the  other.  The  market  demand, 
however,  for  early  crops,  requires  twice  the  quantity  of 
Round  to  that  of  Long  ;  for  late  sales  of  barrelled  roots, 
exactly  the  reverse  quantities  are  needed. 

Swiss  Chard. — Is  a  distinct  species  from  the  Beet  grown 
for  its  roots,  known  to  botanists  as  Beta  Cicla.  It  is  cul- 
tivated solely  for  its  leaves.  The  midrib  of  leaf  is  stewed 
as  Asparagus,  the  other  portions  of  the  leaf  being  used  as 
Spinach.  The  outer  leaves  are  pulled  off  as  in  gathering 
Rhubarb.  It  is  largely  grown  in  France  and  Switzerland. 
In  this  country,  it  is  now  cultivated  to  some  extent  in 
private  gardens  only.  Its  handsome  foliage  is  as  attrac- 
tive as  many  of  our  prized  flower-garden  "'leaf  plants," 
and  no  doubt  it  would  be  much  valued  if  \ve  could  only 
regard  it  without  the  idea  that  it  is  only  a  Beet. 

White  Sugar,— The  White  Sugar  or  Silesian  Beet 
attains  a  large  size,  and  is  extensively  grown  for  feeding 
stock,  although  the  young  roots  may  be  used  for  the  table 
being  sweet  and  well  flavored.  It  is  largely  cultivated  in 
Europe  for  the  manufacture  of  sugar. 

Long  Red  Mangel  Wurzel,— The  variety  most  largely 
grown  for  feeding  stock,  producing  roots  of  a  large  size ; 
often,  when  grown  in  good  soil,  measuring  18  inches  in 
length,  and  from  6  to  8  inches  in  diameter.  Color  light 
red;  flesh,  mottled  white  and  rose-color.  Early  and 
productive. 

fellow  Globe  Mangel  Wurzel,— Also  grown  for  feed- 


VEGETABLES BOBECOLE.  129 

ing  stock.  Roots  of  large  size  and  globular  form  growing 
about  one  half  above  ground.  Tt  is  a  very  productive 
variety,  yielding  from  30  to  40  tons  per  acre ;  keeps  better 
than  the  Long  Red,  and  is  better  adapted  for  growing  in 
shallow  soils.  Flesh,  white  mottled  with  red. 


BOEECOLE    OE    KALE.—  (Brassica  oleracea.     Far.) 

A  variety  of  this  receiving  the  rather  indefinite  terra 
of  "  Sprouts,"  is  extensively  grown  for  the  Northern  mai-- 
kets,  many  acres  of  it  being  cultivated  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York.  It  is  sown  in  the  month  of  September,  in 
rows  1  foot  apart,  treated  in  every  way  as  Spinach,  and  ia 
ready  for  use  in  early  spring.  It  is  difficult  to  keep  in 
some  soils  in  winter ;  those  of  rather  a  light  nature  being 
the  best.  When  successfully  wintered  over,  it  is  a  very 
profitable  crop,  not  unfrequently  selling  for  $500  per  acre. 
The  variety  thus  grown,  is  known  in  the  seed  stores  aa 
Dwarf  German  Greens.  Another  class  of  it  is  cultivated 
as  we  grow  late  Cabbage ;  it  is  sown  in  the  open  ground 
in  May,  and  planted  out  at  distances,  according  to  the  va- 
riety, from  2  to  3  feet  apart.  Of  all  the  Cabbage  tribe 
this  is  the  most  tender  and  delicate,  and  it  is  surprising 
that  it  has  never  yet  been  wanted  in  quantity  enough  to 
make  it  a  marketable  vegetable,  not  one  head  being  sold 
to  one  thousand  of  the  coarse  winter  Cabbage.  The  va- 
rieties are  very  numerous ;  those  below  described  are  all 
standard  sorts. 

Dwarf  German  Greens,  or  "  Sprouts."— Color  blueish- 


130 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


green,  slightly  colored,  resembling  somewhat  the  foliage 
of  Ruta  Baga  Turnips ;  it  is  of  delicate  flavor,  and  every 
way  desirable.  The  popular  market  sort. 

Green  Curled  Scotch,— A  rather  dwarf  variety,  rarely 
exceeding  18  inches  in  hight,  but  spreading,  when  under 
good  cultivation,  to  3  feet  in  diameter.  The  leaves  are 


Fig.  32.— GERMAN   GREENS. 

beautifully  curled,  and  of  a  bright  green.  This  variety  is 
very  hardy,  and  will  remain  over  winter  in  any  place 
where  the  temperature  does  not  fall  below  zero ;  it  is  most 
tender  after  being  touched  by  sharp  frost. 

Purple  Borecole. — Similar  to  the  above  in  all  respects 
except  color,  which  is  of  a  dull  purple.  It  is  the  variety 
most  esteemed  by  the  Germans ;  it  is  very  hardy,  and  is 
often  seen  in  the  markets  of  New  York  as  late  as  January. 


VEGETABLES BROCCOLI.  131 

> 

A  form  of  this,  with  its  leaves  beautifully  variegated  with 
green  and  purple,  or  with  white,  red  and  green,  is  culti- 
vated for  ornament ;  it  is  not  so  hardy  as  the  plain. 

Cottagers'  Kale* — A  comparatively  new  variety,  a  great 
favorite  in  England.  It  is  dwarf,  not  exceeding  12  inch- 
es ;  leaves  rich  green,  double  curled  and  "  feathered  "  al 
most  to  the  ground.  Very  hardy,  and  a  most  profitable 
sort,  more  weight  being  grown  in  the  same  space  than 
with  any  other  variety. 


BROCCOLI.— (Brassica  oleracea.    Var.) 

This  vegetable  is  so  closely  allied  to  Cauliflower,  that  it 
seems  absurd  to  have  ever  divided  them  under  different 
heads.  Still  we  persist  in  growing  them  under  the  names 
of  Broccoli  and  Cauliflower,  the  Broccoli  being  planted  for 
fall  use,  Cauliflower,  on  the  other  hand,  being  mostly 
planted  for  summer  use,  although  it  is  well  known  that 
their  seasons  might  be  reversed  without  any  marked  dif- 
ference in  the  results.  Like  all  of  the  Cabbage  tribe, 
Broccoli,  to  grow  it  in  perfection,  requires  the  soil  to  be  in 
the  highest  possible  degree  of  fertility.  The  seed  should 
be  sown,  in  this  district,  in  the  early  part  of  May,  which 
will  give  plants  large  enough  to  be  transplanted  in  July. 
Farther  south  the  sowing  should  be  delayed  until  June  o* 
July,  and  the  transplanting  delayed  accordingly  until 
August,  September,  or  October.  There  is  no  doubt  that  in 
parts  of  the  country  where  the  thermometer  does  not  fall 
below  20°  or  25°,  that  Broccoli  may  be  had  in  perfection 
from  November  until  March.  A  necessary  condition  of 


132  GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 

perfect  development,  is  a  moist  and  rather  cool  atmosphere ; 
for  this  reason  we  only  get  the  crop  in  fine  condition,  in 
this  district,  during  the  cool  and  moist  months  of  October 
and  November.  Owing  often,  however,  to  heat  or  dry- 
ness  in  the  months  of  August  and  September,  the  crop  be- 
comes an  entire  failure,  and  for  this  reason,  for  market 
purposes,  it  is  rather  hazardous.  When  a  good  crop  is 
made,  however,  it  is  very  profitable,  rarely  bringing  less 
than  $12  per  100,  or  about  $1000  per  acre.  The  plants 
of  most  of  the  varieties  are  planted  2^  by  1|  feet,  or  about 
10,000  plants  per  acre. 

In  this  district,  for  market  purposes,  we  confine  ourselves 
to  the  first  two  varieties  named  below;  some  others, 
however,  are  occasionally  grown  for  family  use. 

White  Cape, — Heads  of  medium  size,  close,  compact-, 
and  of  a  creamy  white  color ;  one  of*  the  most  certain  to 
head. 

Purple  Cape,  —  Nearly  similar  in  all  respects  to  the 
White  Cape,  except  in  color,  which  is  greenish-purple. 
This  variety  is  rather  hardier  than  the  preceding,  but  ita 
color  renders  it  of  less  value  in  market.  White  heads  of 
the  same  quality  bringing  $1  to  $2  more  per  100.  This  is 
mere  matter  of  fancy  in  the  buyers,  however,  as  when 
cooked  there  is  but  little  difference  in  its  appearance  from 
the  White,  and  none  whatever  in  the  flavor. 

Early  H  alcheren, — This  variety  seems  to  produce  ita 
heads  earlier  than  the  preceding,  but  they  are  not  usually 
so  heavy  or  compact.  This  variety  so  closely  resembles 
a  Cauliflower  that  it  is  not  easy  to  say  in  Avhat  respect  it 
differs  from  one.  In  England,  where  the  Broccoli  is  much 
more  grown  than  with  us,  this  variety  is  sown  every  few 


VEGETABLES — BRUSSELS   SPROUTS.  133 

weeks,  in  order  to  keep  up  a  constant  supply.  The  Eng- 
lish catalogues  enumerate  some  thirty  or  more  varieties, 
and  each  year  adds  to  the  list. 


BRUSSELS  SPROUTS.— (Brassica  oleracea.     Far.) 
This  vegetable  has  never  come  into  general  use  in  this 
country,  probably  owing  to  its  being  too  tender  to  stand 
the  winters  of  the  North- 
ern States.     Still,  by  sow^ 
ing  in  April  or  May,  and 
planting  out    in   July,    it 
may  be  had  in  fine  condi- 
tion until  December;  and 
in    the    Southern    States, 
may  be  had  in  use  from 
November  to  March.  Even 
in    England,   where    it   is 
very  extensively  grown,  it 
is  not  much  raised  for  mar- 
ket, being  mainly  cultivat- 
ed  for  private   use.      Its 
cultivation  is  very  simple, 
and  it   can   be  grown  on 
almost    any   soil.       Plant 
about    2   feet   apart,   and 
Fig.  ^.-BRUSSELS  SPROTTTS.         cultivate  as  for  Cabbages. 
Brussels  Sprouts   are  readily     distinguished  from  all 
other  varieties  of  the  Cabbage  tribe  by  the  sprouts  or 
buds,  about  the  size  of  walnuts,  which  grow  thickly  around 
the  stem ;  these  sprouts  are  the  parts  used,  and  are  equal 
in  tenderness  and  flavor  to  Cauliflower  or  Broccoli. 


134  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

CAULIFLOWER.— (Brassica  oleracea.  Far.) 
As  we  remarked  in  the  chapter  on  Broccoli,  Cauliflower 
is  mostly  grown  as  a  spring  or  summer  crop,  and  as  all 
such  are  more  profitable,  and  consequently  of  more  interest 
to  the  grower  than  crops  maturing  in  fall,  we  will  give  its 
culture  more  at  length. 

Any  soil  that  will  grow  early  Cabbages,  will  grow  Caul- 
iflower, as  their  requirements  are  almost  similar ;  but  as 
the  product  is  more  valuable,  extra  manuring  and  prepara- 
tion of  the  soil  will  be  well  re-paid.  In  situations  where 
irrigation  could  be  practised,  it  would  be  of  great  benefit 
in  dry  weather.  .We  have  occasionally  found,  when  our  beds 
were  convenient  to  water,  that  even  watering  by  hand  has 
been  of  advantage.  But  few  or  no  other  crops  of  our  gar- 
dens will  re-pay  that  labor.  The  seeds  of  Cauliflower, 
(that  we  wish  to  be  ready  for  market  in  June),  are  sown  in" 
the  fall  previous,  between  the  10th  and  20th  of  September. 
In  the  course  of  four  or  five  weeks  the  plants  are  trans- 
planted into  frames,  in  the  manner  described  in  the  chapter 
headed  "  Uses  and  Management  of  Cold  Frames ; "  but  as 
they  are  rather  more  tender  than  Cabbage  or  Lettuce 
plants,  we  find  it  necessary  to  have  the  glass  protected  by 
straw-mats  at  night  during  winter.  In  cases  where  it  is 
not  convenient  or  practicable  to  have  the  plants  thus  win- 
tered over,  they  can  be  had  nearly  or  quite  as  well  by  sow- 
ing the  seed  in  the  hot-bed,  or  vegetable  forcing  house,  in 
January  or  February,  and  transplanting  the  plants  to  2  or 
3  inches  apart  in  boxes  or  in  the  soil  of  another  hot-bed, 
until  such  time  as  they  are  safe  to  be  planted  in  the  open 
ground,  which,  with  us,  is  usually  from  15th  of  March  to 
tOth  of  April.  If  properly  hardened  off,  they  are  rarely 


VEGETABLES CAULIFLOWER.  135 

injured  by  being  planted  out  too  early.  It  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  the  plant  is  nearly  hardy,  and  that  10  or  15 
degrees  of  frost  will  not  injure  it,  provided  it  has  been 
treated  as  its  hardy  nature  requires,  by  having  been  ex- 
posed to  the  air  previous  to  setting  out  in  the  open  gar« 
den.  I  know  that  the  general  practice  with  amateur  hor- 
ticulturists is  very  different  from  this,  and  that  their  usual 
time  of  planting  Cauliflower  is  when  they  plant  Tomatoes, 
and  in  eonsequence,  failure  is  almost  universal.  The  plant, 
set  out  in  May,  hardly  gets  root  before  hot  weather  sets 
in,  and  if  the  flower  head  is  developed  at  all,  it  is  merely 
an  abortion  of  what  it  should  be.  "With  me,  for  the  past 
four  or  five  years,  Cauliflowers  have  been  one  of  my  most 
profitable  crops.  I  have  during  that  time  grown  about 
one  acre  each  year,  which  has  certainly  averaged  $1500. 
On  one  occasion  the  crop  proved  almost  an  entire  failure, 
owing  to  unusual  drouth  in  May ;  while  on  another  oc- 
casion, with  an  unusually  favorable  season,  it  sold  at  nearly 
$3000  per  acre. 

The  average  price  for  all  planted  is  about  $15  per  100, 
and  as  from  10,000  to  12,000  are  grown  to  the  acre,  it  will 
result  in  nearly  the  average  before  named  —  $1500  per 
acre.  Unlike  Cabbages,  however,  only  a  limited  number 
is  yet  sold,  and  I  have  found  that  an  acre  of  them  has 
been  quite  as  much  as  could  be  profitably  grown  in  one 
garden.  Cauliflowers  require  careful  handling  to  be  mar- 
keted in  good  shape ;  after  being  trimmed  of  all  surplus 
leaves,  they  are  packed  in  boxes  holding  about  100  each, 
and  are  generally  sold  to  retailers  in  this  shape,  without 
being  removed  from  the  packages.  This  early  crop  is  al- 
ways sold  by  the  first  week  of  July,  allowing  plenty  time  to 


136 


GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 


get  in  second  crops  of  Celery,  etc. ;  but  when  wanted  for 
fall  or  winter  use,  its  treatment  is  the  same  in  all  respects 
as  that  of  Broccoli.  Like  all  our  market  garden  products, 
we  grow  only  a  very  limited  number  of  varieties,  and  these 
such  as  are  suited  to  our  climate  here ;  some  of  the  most 
popular  English  sorts  being  perfectly  worthless  with  us. 

Extra  Early  Dwarf  Erfurt, — This  fine  sort  is  a  dwarf 
compact  growing  kind,  producing  uniformly  large  heads ; 
the  leaves  grow  more  up- 
right than  in  any  other 
variety ;  consequently  it  can 
be  planted  closer,  24  inches 
by  15  inches,  while  most  of 
the  other  sorts  require  28  by 
18  inches. 

Extra  Early  Paris,— This 
well-known  variety  is  equally 
meritorious  in  all  respects  to 
the  Erfurt,  except  that  it  re- 
quires more  space  to  grow  in. 
Half  Early  Paris,— A  use- 
ful variety  for  a  succession 
crop.  The  difficulty  with 
Cauliflowers  for  market  is,  that  the  whole  crop  comes  in 
and  must  be  sold  in  the  space  of  two  weeks,  unless  we 
have  a  succession  of  varieties. 

Lenormand, —  A  large    late   variety,  producing   well 
formed  heads  of  superior  quality. 

Autumn  Giant, — A  new  English   variety,   said  to  be 
distinct.     The  leaves  are  long  and  tapering,  and  the  habit 


Fig.  34.— EARLY  ERFURT  CAULI- 
FLOWER. 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE.  137 

of  the  plant  robust,  but  very  upright  and  compact.  The 
heads  are  large  and  firm  and,  being  protected  by  the 
foliage,  remain  fit  for  use  longer  than  any  other  sort. 


CABBAGE.— EABLY.— (Srassfca  oleracea.) 
The  early  varieties  of  Cabbage  are  cultivated  more  ex- 
tensively than  any  other  vegetable  we  grow.  If  they 
do  not  occupy  a  larger  number  of  acres,  they  certainly 
sell  for  a  much  larger  amount  than  any  other  crop.  They 
are  also  generally  considered  to  be  the  most  profitable  of 
all  crops  of  our  gardens  on  congenial  soils.  Experience 
in  a  great  variety  of  soils  in  the  cultivation  of  this  crop, 
shows  that  what  is  known  as  heavy  sandy  loam,  overlay- 
ing a  porous  subsoil,  is  the  best  adapted  to  it.  Along  the 
sea  shore,  for  about  one  mile  inland,  we  have  often  an  ad- 
mixture of  oyster  and  other  shells  in  the  soil ;  wherever 
such  is  found,  there,  with  proper  cultivation,  Cabbage 
can  be  raised  in  the  highest  degree  of  perfection.  The 
large  amount  of  lime  in  the  soil,  produced  by  the  gradual 
decay  of  the  shell,  is  not  only  congenial  to  the  growth  oi 
the  Cabbage  tribe,  but  is  certainly  destructive  to  the  larva 
of  the  insect  which  is  known  to  produce  club-root.  In 
such  soils,  where  in  some  instances  Cabbages  have  been 
grown  for  fifty  consecutive  years,  club-root  is  never  seen. 
It  is  plain  from  this  then,  that  lime  is  indispensable  in  the 
cultivation  of  this  crop,  and  that  if  not  naturally  found  in 
the  soil,  it  must  be  applied.  The  most  profitable  applica- 
tion, I  have  found  to  be  the  flour  of  bone ;  a  detail  of 
some  expeiiments  with  which  will  be  found  in  the  Chap 
teron  "Insects." 


138  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

The  preparation  of  the  ground  for  Cabbage  differs  in 
nothing  from  that  for  all  the  regular  market  garden  crops, 
— careful  plowing  and  subsoiling,  and  manuring  with  sta- 
ble or  barn-yard  manure  when  procurable,  at  the  rate  of  75 
tons  per  acre,  alternating  this  with  guano,  etc.,  in  the 
quantities  named  under  the  head  of  "  Manures." 

The  early  varieties  of  Cabbage  are  planted  out  in  spring, 
as  soon  as  the  ground  is  dry  enough  to  work ;  in  the  lati- 
tude of  New  York,  from  15th  March  to  15th  April.  The 
distance  apart  is  from  24  to  28  inches  between  the  lines, 
and  16  inches  between  the  plants  in  rows.  At  the  same 
time  that  we  plant  out  Cabbage  or  Cauliflower,  between 
the  lines  are  planted  Lettuce,  at  12  inches  apart.  To 
repay  such  expensive  manuring  and  cultivation,  every  inch 
must  be  made  to  tell. 

The  Lettuce  is  ready  for  market  by  the  middle  of  May, 
and  is  cut  off  before  the  Cabbage  is  large  enough  to  in- 
jure it.  T^e  ground  is  now  clear  of  the  Lettuce,  and  the 
whole  space  is  occupied  by  the  Cabbages,  which  are  all 
sold  off  before  the  middle  of  July ;  the  greater  part  in 
fact  by  the  end  of  June,  which  gives  the  necessary  time  for 
second  crops.  The  raising  of  the  plants  is  done  in  various 
ways,  according  to  the  differences  of  climate,  and  also  of 
the  market  requirements  in  different  sections.  In  lati- 
tudes where  the  thermometer  never  indicates  20°  below 
the  freezing  point,  Cabbage  plants  may  be  sown  in  the 
open  border  in  October,  and  planted  out  at  the  distances 
named,  on  the  first  opening  of  spring ;  but  in  our  North- 
ern States,  they  must  either  be  sown  in  hot-beds  in  Feb- 
ruary, (see  instructions  in  Chapter  on  Hot-beds)  or  what 
is  still  better,  wintered  over  in  cold  frames.  For  this  pur- 


VEGETABLES— CABBAGE.  139 

pose  the  seed  is  sown  from  the  10th  to  the  20th  of  Sep- 
tember ;  strict  attention  to  date  is  important ;  if  too  soon, 
the  plants  might  run  to  seed,  and  if  too  late,  they  would 
be  too  small.  It  may  seem  to  the  uninitiated  in  such 
matters,  that  a  few  days  earlier  or  later  in  sowing  could 
not  be  material;  but  all  experienced  market  gardeners 
know  it  to  be  a  fact  beyond  question,  so  that  here  no  one 
ever  begins  to  sow  his  seed  before  the  10th,  and  the  great 
majority  uniformly  sow  on  the  15th.  My  own  plan  is  to 
sow  twice,  on  the  12th  and  on  the  16th  of  September,  and 
I  should  far  rather  risk  even  the  25th  than  the  5th.  Much 
depends  on  the  condition  of  the  ground.  It  ought  to  be  mel- 
lowed and  enriched  to  the  highest  possible  point  by  plow- 
ing and  harrowing,  or  digging  and  raking,  and  well  mixed 
with  a  heavy  dressing  of  thoroughly-rotted  stable  manure, 
in  quantity  when  spread  sufficient  to  cover  the  surface  at 
least  three  inches.  In  absence  of  stable  manure,  pure 
bone-dust,  or  dried  blood  and  bone-dust,  shoi^Vl  be  used, 
in  the  ratio  of  at  least  one  ton  to  the  acre,  and,  of  course, 
thoroughly  mixed  in  with  soil  designed  for  the  sowing  of 
the  cabbage  seed.  Ground,  thus  prepared,  will  in  any 
season  I  have  ever  seen  in  this  vicinity  give  excellent 
plants,  fit  to  "  prick  out "  four  weeks  after  sowing ;  that 
is,  if  we  sow  on  September  15th,  we  have  plants  of  just 
the  right  size  to  "  prick  "  into  the  frames  by  October  15th, 
from  500  to  600  being  put  under  a  sash  3  by  6  feet.  In 
planting,  it  is  very  important  with  Cabbage  or  Cauli- 
flower, that  the  plant  is  set  down  to  the  first  leaf,  so  that 
the  stem  or  stalk  is  all  under  ground,  for  we  find  that  if 
exposed,  it  will  be  split  by  the  action  of  the  frost,  and  will 
be  injured  in  consequence.  Instructions  regarding  win- 


140  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

ter  treatment,  will  be  found  under  the  head  of  "  Cold 
Frames."  I  have  before  stated  that,  from  the  extent  to 
which  Early  Cabbage  is  cultivated,  it  is  one  of  the  most 
important  crops  grown.  It  is  also  by  far  the  most  profit- 
able, on  a  large  scale,  and  no  grower  here,  whose  ground 
has  not  been  fitted  to  produce  it  properly,  has  ever  been 
very  successful;  it  requires  but  little  labor,  and  is  always 
readily  disposed  of  at  profitable  rates.  At  the  distance 
planted,  from  12,000  to  13,000  are  grown  per  acre,  the  av- 
erage price  of  which,  at  wholesale,  is  $50  per  1000,  or 
about  $600  per  acre. 

"We  allude  to  varieties  here  with  some  hesitation,  as  it 
is  unquestionable  that  soil  or  climate  has  much  to  do  in 
determining  the  merits  of  varieties  in  different  localities 
As  the  best  that  I  can  do  in  the  matter,  I  adopt  the  usual 
plan  I  have  adhered  to  throughout,  and  place  first  on  the 
list  those  we  find  to  have  the  greatest  general  merit. 

Jersey  Wakefield. — This  variety  is  said  to  have  been 
first  grown  by  Francis  Brill,  then  of  Jersey  City,  "N.  J., 
some  thirty  odd  years  ago,  from  a  package  of  seed  receiv- 
ed from  England  under  the  name  of  Early  Wakefield,  and 
has  been  kept  in  the  immediate  locality  almost  ever  since. 
"We  have  experimented  with  scores  of  varieties  in  that 
time,  and  find  nothing  equal  to  it.  It  is  quite  a  shy  seed- 
ing sort,  and  on  several  occasions  enough  seed  could  not 
be  procured  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  growers,  and 
then  it  has  repeatedly  sold  as  high  as  $20  per  lb.,  or  quite 
five  times  the  rate  of  Other  sorts.  True,  we  have  it  quoted 
in  the  English  seed  lists  as  low  as  other  varieties,  but  re- 
peated trials  of  almost  every  kind  named  in  their  cata- 
logues too  well  told  us  that  the  Early  Wakefield,  as  we 


VEGETABLES CABBAGE. 


141 


know  it,  was  no  longer  procurable  in  England.  The  merit 
of  this  variety  consists  in  its  large  size  of  head,  small  out- 
side foliage,  and  its  uniformity  in  producing  a  crop.  The 
heads  are  pyramidal,  having  a  blunted  or  rounded  peak ; 
color  glaucous  green.  A  few  years  after  its  introduction 
we  found  that  it  broke  into  over  a  dozen  sub-varieties,  of 
varying  size  of  leaf  and 
shape  of  head,  and,  worse 
than  all,  of  varying  earli- 
ness.  No  matter  how  care- 
fully we  selected  the  heads 
that  we  used  for  seed,  the 
same  difficulty  occurred.  A 
few  miles  inland,  somewhere 
near  the  Orange  Mountain, 
we  found  that  an  old  Ger- 
man was  always  ahead  of 
us  in  having  the  first  Wake- 
fields  in  New  York  market, 
and  these  too  of  a  uniformity  in  shape  that  none  of  us 
nearer  the  city  could  produce.  All  inducements  to  get 
him  to  sell  seed  were  disregarded,  and  year  after  year  he 
kept  the  lead.  Several  plans  were  laid  to  circumvent  him, 
such  as  ordering  a  hundred  of  his  Cabbages  with  roots  on. 
But  old  Carl  was  not  to  be  caught  so ;  he  filled  the  order 
to  the  letter,  making  the  buyer  pay  roundly  for  the  roots, 
but  took  the  liberty  of  first  dipping  them  in  boiling  water! 
But  one  day  he  invited  a  friend  and  countryman  to  see 
his  wonderful  Cabbages  as  they  grew.  This  was  a  fatal 
day  for  Carl's  monopoly,  for  his  friend  had  his  eyes  about 
him,  and  observed  that  several  of  the  stumps  from  which 


Fig.  35.— JERSEY  WAKEFIELD 
CABBAGE. 


142  GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

the  earliest  heads  had  been  cut  were  marked  with  a  stake, 
as  were  a  few  of  the  choicest  shape,  as  yet  uncut.  The 
secret  was  out.  Carl's  success  had  been  gained  by  per- 
sistently year  after  year  selecting  the  earliest  and  finest 
heads ;  taking  up  the  stumps  from  which  they  were  cut, 
he  planted  them  carefully,  and  removing  the  young  shoots 
produced  from  the  stumps,  he  treated  them  exactly  as  wo 
treat  cuttings  of  a  flower,  that  is,  by  planting  the  slip  in 
the  soil,  watering  it  freely,  and  shading  it  until  it  rooted. 
After  these  cuttings  or  shoots  of  the  Cabbage  were  rooted, 
they  were  planted  in  the  usual  Cabbage-frame,  covered 
with  glass  in  winter,  set  out  in  spring,  like  a  plant  from 
the  seed,  and  next  July  ripened  seed.  This  process  is  too 
expensive  and  slow  to  follow  for  raising  Cabbage  seed  in 
quantity,  but  it  is  now  used  by  careful  growers  to  produce 
pure  and  improved  stock  from  which  to  raise  seed. 

Early  York. — This  well-known  variety  is  more  univer- 
sally cultivated  than  all  others;  in  earliness  it  is  quite 
equal  to  the  "Wakefield,  but  is  inferior  in  size,  and  for 
market  purposes,  with  us,  would  not  sell  for  much  more 
than  half  the  price  of  the  "Wakefield.  Heads  small, 
roundish-oval;  color  pea-green. 

Large  York. — Similar  to  the  above,  but  larger  in  all  its 
parts ;  it  is  grown  to  a  considerable  extent  in  the  South 
and  South-west. 

Early  Summer, — An  entirely  new  variety  of  Early 
Cabbage,  originated  by  Mr.  Van  Siclen,  of  Long  Island, 
that  is  likely  to  supersede  all  others  for  general  market 
purposes.  He  has  now  grown  it  for  the  past  three  years, 
but  so  far  the  seed  has  not  been  put  in  the  market,  Mr. 
Van  S.  being  exceedingly  cautious  not  to  introduce  any 


VEGETABLES CABBAGE.  143 

variety  before  thoroughly  proving  its  merits.  The  last 
season,  in  company  with  him,  I  made  an  examination  of  the 
crop,  and  in  my  opinion  it  is,  take  it  altogether,  the  best 
Early  Cabbage  I  ever  saw.  It  is  perhaps  four  or  five  days 
later  than  the  Wakefield,  but  fully  one  third  heavier,  and 
as  it  has  small  outer  leaves,  may  be  as  closely  planted. 
When  fully  matured  it  will  withstand  the  hottest  weather 


Fig.  36.— EARLY  SUMMER  CABBAGE. 

without  cracking.  All  market  gardeners  know  the  value 
of  this  quality,  as  most  of  us  have  lost  heavily  from  this 
cause.  The  seeds  will  probably  be  offered  next  season. 

Early  Wynian, — A  valuable  early  variety  and  a  great 
favorite  in  the  Boston  market.  Heads  large  and  fine. 

Early  Ox  Heart.— This,  next  to  the  Wakefield,  used 
to  be  our  favorite  market  sort.  It  is  equal  to  it  in  earli- 
ness  and  size,  but  not  so  uniform  in  heading ;  for  family  cul- 
ture it  is  a  valuable  variety,  as  it  is  one  of  the  best  in  quality. 

Early  WinningStadt,— Should  hardly  be  claimed  as 
early,  as  it  is  quite  three  weeks  later  than  any  of  the 
above,  but  it  is  an  excellent  sort  where  earliness  is  not  an 


144  GARDENING    FOB   PROFIT. 

object,  as-  it  heads  uniformly,  and  is  of  large  size,  often 
weighing  20  Ibs.     It  is  a  very  distinct  variety ;  head  pyra- 


Fig.  37. — EARLY  FLAT  DUTCH  CABBAGE. 

midal;  the  outer  leaves  spiral  and  spreading,  which  re- 
quires it  to  be  planted  wider  than  the  early  sorts.  For 
this  reason,  together  with  its  lateness,  it  is  not  a  favorite 
in  gardens  where  two  crops  ai-e  grown  in  one  season. 

Early  Flat  Dutch, — A  very  dwarf  variety  with  large 
round  head,  almost  flat  on  the  top ;  it  is  a  very  excellent 
variety  for  a  succession  crop,  being  two  or  three  weeks 
behind  the  earliest  sorts.  Though  not  more  than  8000  or 
9000  can  be  planted  on  an  acre,  yet,  as  it  comes  in  just 
when  the  glut  is  over,  it  rarely  sells  for  less  than  $12  per 
100.  Its  lateness,  however,  prevents  the  getting  in  of  a 
second  crop,  and  it  is  consequently  not  largely  grown. 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE.  145 

CABBAGE-LATE. 

The  manner  of  cultivating  Late  Cabbage  is  not  quite 
BO  expensive  as  that  for  Early,  and  as  a  consequence,  the 
receipts  for  the  crop  are  correspondingly  low.  In  fact,  it 
is  often  sold  at  prices  that  would  not  more  than  repay  the 
price  of  manure  and  labor  expended  on  the  early  crop.  But 
as  it  can  be  raised  with  much  less  manure  and  labor,  and 
on  land  less  valuable,  it  is  extensively  grown  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  all  our  large  cities,  rather,  however,  by  farm- 
ers than  by  gardeners.  The  seed  is  sown  usually  in  the 
early  part  of  May,  and  the  plants  set  out  in  July,  at  dis- 
tances of  3  feet  between  the  rows,  and  2  feet  between  the 
plants.  The  crop  is  almost  exclusively  worked  by  the  cul- 
tivator or  plow,  one  hoeing  usually  sufficing  around  the 
plants.  In  Long  Island,  N.  T.,  they  are  set  out  in  July, 
on  the  ground  from  which  early  Potatoes  or  Peas  have 
been  grown.  About  10  tons  of  stable  manure  per  acre  is 
usually  put  in  the  rows  over  which  the  plants  are  set.  The 
price  averages  about  $40  per  1000;  6000  or  7000  are 
grown  per  acre,  giving  an  average  of,  perhaps,  $300  to  the 
acre.  Late  Cabbage  is  extensively  shipped  during  the  fall 
months,  from  New  "Xork  to  southern  ports.  The  hot  and 
dry  summers  there  preventing  the  raising  of  plants  from 
seed.  Recently,  however,  some  of  the  growers  in  Charles- 
ton, Savannah,  Richmond,  and  other  cities,  have  discov- 
ered that  it  is  more  profitable  to  have  the  plants  grown 
North,  and  to  plant  them  in  August  or  September,  and 
grow  them  themselves.  Many  hundred  thousands  of 
plants  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower,  and  Celery,  are  now  an- 
nually sent  South  in  August. 

The  varieties  of  Late  Cabbage  are  not  so  numerous  as 


146  GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

the  Early ;  the  best  for  general  purposes  are  the  following : 

Large  Bergen  Drumhead. — The  variety  grown  for  the 
general  crop,  it  is  of  the  largest  size,  sometimes  almost 
round,  though  more  generally  flattened  at  the  top.  It  is 
extremely  hardy,  and  will  withstand  severe  frosts  without 
tnjiiry.  In  localities  where  there  is  not  more  than  15  or 
20  degrees  of  frost,  it  can  be  left  out  where  grown  all 
winter,  but  in  the  Northern  States  requires  the  protection 
as  recommended  in  the  chapter  on  "  Preservation  of  Veg- 
etables in  Winter." 

Premium  Flat  Dutch. — A  very  handsome  variety,  dif- 
fering from  the  Drumhead  in  perfecting  its  head  rather 
earlier  in  the  fall,  and  for  that  reason  is  not  quite  so  well 
adapted  for  winter  use ;  it  is,  however,  much  grown  as  an 
early  fall  sort.  It  is  particularly  tender,  and  superior  in 
flavor  to  the  Drumhead. 

Fottler's  Improved  Brunswick. — A  second  early  and 
late  variety,  used  by  the  Boston  gardeners,  to  succeed  the 
Wyman.  It  produces  large  heads  of  excellent  quality. 

Marblehead  Mammoth  Drumhead.— This  is  probably 
the  largest  variety  of  Cabbage  iu  cultivation.  Specimens 
have  been  grown  weighing  sixty  pounds.  In  good  soil 
and  with  proper  culture  it  will  average  thirty  pounds. 
The  heads  are  somewhat  irregular  in  shape,  some  being 
flat,  while  others  are  nearly  hemispherical.  It  should  be 
cultivated  with  the  plants  four  feet  apart  each  way. 

Mason. — Sometimes  called  Stone  Mason,  in  compliment 
to  its  extreme  hardness,  I  suppose.  Is  rather  a  small  va> 
riety  for  a  late  Cabbage,  but  this  enables  it  to  perfect  ita 
head  in  a  short  season,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  recent 
mended  for  extreme  northern  latitudes. 


VEGETABLES CABBAGE.  147 

Drumhead  SaTOy .—This  variety  is  the  largest  of  the 
Savoy  Class,  and  is  the  sort  most  generally  cultivated  for 
market.  The  head  is  large,  spherical,  very  solid  and  com- 
pact, of  a  yellowish-green;  and  like  all  others  of  the 
Savoy  varieties,  is  of  excellent  flavor,  far  surpassing  that 
of  any  late  Cabbage.  Still,  such  is  the  force  of  habit,  that 
the  public  do  not  purchase  one  Savoy  for  every  thousand 


Fig.  38. — DRUMHEAD  SAVOY  CABBAGE. 

of  the  coarse  Drumhead  class,  although  the  difference  in 
quality  between  the  two  is  as  great  as  between  the  fox 
grape  of  the  woods  and  a  cultivated  Delaware. 

Green  Globe  Savoy,— Smaller  in  all  respects  than  the 
preceding,  of  darker  green,  the  leaves  intensely  wrinkled. 
The  compact  and  rather  upright  growth  of  the  lower 
leaves  allows  it  to  be  planted  quite  as  close  as  early  Cab- 
bage, 24  inches  by  18  inches.  It  is  the  favorite  of  all 
the  varieties  for  family  use. 

Red  Dutchi — Is  used  almost  exclusively  for  pickling; 


148  GAEDENING  FOE  PEOFIT. 

it  is  one  of  the  hardiest  of  all  Cabbages,  and  when  pre* 
served  as  directed  for  the  others,  will  keep  later  in  the 
season  than  any  other.  It  is  slow  to  mature,  however, 
and  requires  a  nciier  soil  for  its  perfect  development. 


CAKDOON. — (Cynara  carduncuhw.) 

A  vegetable  that  is  but  little  grown,  and  then  oftener 
as  a  novelty  than  for  use.  It  belongs  to  the  same  family 
as  the  Artichoke,  which  it  much  resembles.  The  shoots, 
after  blanching,  are  used  in  soups  or  in  salads.  It  is  cul- 
tivated by  sowing  the  seeds  in  early  spring,  thinly,  in  rows 
3  feet  apart,  and  thinning  out  to  18  inches  between  the 
plants.  The  plant  attains  its  growth  in  early  fall,  when  it 
is  blanched  by  tying  the  leaves  together  so  as  to  form  an 
erect  growth,  after  which  it  is  earthed  up,  and  preserved 
exactly  as  we  do  Celery. 


CARROT.— (Daucus  Carota.) 

This  may  be  classed  more  as  a  crop  of  the  farm  than 
of  the  garden,  as  a  far  larger  area  is  grown  for  the  food 
of  horses  and  cattle  than  for  culinary  purposes.  Yet  it  is 
a  salable  vegetable  in  our  markets,  and  by  no  means  an 
unprofitable  one  to  grow  on  lands  not  too  valuable.  It  is 
not  necessary  that  the  land  for  this  crop  should  be  highly 
enriched.  I  have  grown  on  sod  land,  (which  had  been 
turned  over  in  fall),  300  barrels  per  acre,  without  a  par- 


VEGETABLES — CABBOT.  149 

ticle  of  manure,  and  three  years  after,  the  same  land  which 
had  been  brought  up  to  our  market  garden  standard 
of  fertility,  a  very  inferior  crop;  the  land  being  too 
rich,  induced  a  growth  of  tops  rather  than  roots.  In  our 
market  gardens,  we  sow  in  rows  14  inches  apart,  thinning 
out  to  3  or  4  inches  between  the  plants ;  but  on  farm  lands 
where  space  is  not  so  valuable,  they  should  be  planted  18 
or  24  inches  between  the  rows,  and  worked  with  the  culti- 
vator. For  early  crops,  we  sow  at  the  beginning  of  our  first 
operations  in  spring,  in  the  same  manner  as  we  sow  Beets, 
as  soon  as  the  ground  is  thoroughly  dry ;  but  for  later 
crops,  they  may  be  sown  any  time,  in  this  latitude,  until 
the  middle  of  June.  This  is  one  of  the  vegetables  that  re- 
quire a  close  watching,  to  see  that  it  does  not  get  envelop- 
ed with  weeds,  as  in  its  early  stage  it  is  of  comparatively 
feeble  growth,  and  unless  it  is  kept  clean  from  the  start, 
it  is  apt  to  get  irrevocably  injured. 

The  usually  prescribed  quantity  of  seed  per  acre  is  5  Ibs., 
but  I  have  always  considered  it  safer  to  sow  nearly  double 
that  quantity.  In  dry  weather  it  germinates  feebly,  and 
not  unfrequently,  when  seed  comes  up  thinly,  it  is  scorched 
off  by  the  hot  sun,  and  the  saving  of  a  few  pounds  of 
seed  may  entail  the  loss  of  half  the  crop.  We  prefer  to 
sow  all  such  crops  by  hand. 

The  Carrot,  like  all  other  root  crops,  delights  in  a  sandy 
loam,  deeply  tilled.  Considerable  quantities  of  the  early 
varieties  are  sold,  in  our  markets,  in  bunches,  in  a  halt 
grown  state,  at  prices  equal  to  early  Beets  sold  in  the  same 
manner.  Sold  in  this  state,  they  are  highly  profitable  at 
the  prices  received,  but  only  limited  quantities  can  be  dis- 
posed of.  In  the  dry  state,  during  fall  and  winter,  they 


150 


GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 


range  from  $1.50  to  $2.50  per  barrel,  according  to  quality, 

and  at  these  prices  will  yield  double  the  profit  of  Pota- 

toes, as  a  farm  crop. 

The  varieties  in  general  cultivation  are  limited.     The 

favorite  variety  for  all  purposes  is  the 

Long  Orange  •  —  This  is  equally  adapted 
for  garden  or  farm  culture  ;    it  is  of  large 
size,  fair  specimens  averaging  12  inches  in 
length,  with   a   diameter   of  3 
inches  at  the  top  ;  color  orange- 
red,  varying  in  depth  of  shade 
in  different  soils. 

Early  Horn,  —  An  old  and 
favorite  sort  for  an  early  crop, 
but  not  large  enough  to  be 
suitable  for  general  culture. 
It  is  the  variety  that  is  sold  in 
our  markets  bunched  up  in  the 
green  state.  It  matures  its  root 


•    i  j  r        XT.         Fig.40— 

eight  or  ten  days  earlier  than  H(fBH  CARROT 
the  preceding.  It  is  also  more  tender,  and 
is  more  value.d  than  any  other  for  culinary 
use.  It  may  be  grown  closer  than  the 
Long  Orange,  as  its  foliage  is  much  shorter. 

Early  French  Horn.  —  Used  for  forcing 
in  hot-beds  or  forcing  house,  its  small 
foliage  and  short  root,  not  unlike  the  Turnip  Radish  in 
shape,  rendering  it  especially  suitable  for  growing  under 
glass.  It  is  not  yet  very  generally  grown  for  market,  thus 
forced,  but  what  few  have  been  grown,  were  quickly  sold 


•pig.  39.—  LONG 
OEANGB  CARBOT. 


VEGETABLES CHERVIL CELEBY.  151 

at  most  profitable  rates,  $12  for  the  products  of  a  3x6 
sash,  or  about  5  cents  a  piece. 

White  Belgian.  —  This  is  the  most  productive  of  all 
known  varieties ;  the  lower  part  of  the  root  is  white,  that 
growing  above  the  ground,  and  exposed  to  the  air,  green. 

It  is  exclusively  grown  for  stock,  bearing  nearly  twice 
as  much  weight  per  acre  as  the  Long  Orange.  Horses  do 
not  eat  it  quite  so  readily,  however,  and  it  is  said  to  be 
less  nutritious  than  the  Ked  or  Orange  sorts. 


CHERVIL.— TURNIP-BOOTED. — (Cfuvrophyllum  bulboaum.) 
A  vegetable  of  recent  introduction,  closely  allied  to  the 
Parsnip,  which  it  resembles  in  shape.  It  is  of  a  grayish 
color ;  the  flesh  is  white  and  mealy,  tasting  something  like 
the  Sweet  Potato.  It  is  equally  as  hardy  as  the  Parsnip, 
and  in  France,  where  it  has  been  cultivated  to  a  consider- 
able extent,  is  said  to  have  yielded  6  tons  per  acre.  It  is 
one  of  the  many  plants  that  were  experimented  with  in 
"Europe  as  a  substitute  for  the  Potato,  when  it  was  feared 
that  that  root  would  be  lost  to  us  by  disease.  Its  culture 
is  in  all  repects  similar  to  the  Parsnip  or  Carrot ;  it  is  en- 
tirely hardy  in  any  latitude,  and  is  rather  improved  by  the 
action  of  the  frost.  It  must  be  sown  as  early  in  spring 
as  the  soil  is  fit  to  work,  it  being  slow  to  germinate  if  the 
weather  becomes  hot  and  dry. 


CELERY.— (Apium  graveolem.) 

I  know  of  no  vegetable  on  the  cultivation  of  which 
there  is  so  much  useless  labor  expended  with  such  nnsatis- 


152  GABDBNING  FOB  PROFIT. 

factory  results,  as  Celery.  Almost  all  private  cultivators 
still  think  it  necessary  to  dig  out  trenches,  from  6  to  12 
inches  deep,  involving  great  labor  and  expense,  and  giv- 
ing a  very  inferior  crop  to  that  planted  on  the  level  sur- 
face, in  the  manner  practised  on  hundreds  of  acres  by  the 
market  gardeners  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York. 

Our  manner  of  treating  the  Celery  crop,  of  late  years, 
is  very  much  simplified.  Instead  of  sowing  the  seed  in  a 
hot-bed  or  cold  frame,  as  formerly,  it  is  sown  in  the  open 
ground  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  fit  to  work  in  spring — 
here  about  first  week  in  April — on  a  level  piece  of  rich 
mellow  soil,  that  has  been  specially  prepared  by  thorough 
pulverizing  and  mixing  with  short  stable  manure.  The 
bed  being  fined  down  by  raking  so  that  it  is  clear  of  stones 
and  all  inequalities,  lines  are  drawn  out  by  the  "marker" 
8  or  9  inches  apart,  in  beds  of  8  rows  in  a  bed,  rubbing 
out  every  9th  line  for  an  alley,  on  which  to  walk  when 
weeding,  etc.  The  seed  should  be  sown  rather  thinly, 
one  ounce  being  sufficient  for  every  20  feet  in  length  of, 
such  a  bed.  After  sowing,  the  bed  should  be  rolled,  or 
patted  down  with  a  spade,  which  will  give  the  seed  suf 
ficient  covering. 

As  soon  as  the  seeds  of  Celery  begin  to  germinate,  so 
that  the  rows  can  be  traced,  hoe  lightly  between  the  rows, 
and  begin  to  pull  out  the  weeds  as  soon  as  they  can  be 
seen.  One  day's  work,  at  the  proper  time,  will  be  better 
than  a  dozen  after  the  seed  bed  gets  enveloped  with 
weeds,  besides  ensuring  much  finer  plants. 

As  the  plants  advance  in  growth,  the  tops  are  shorn  off, 
generally  twice  before  the  time  of  setting  out,  so  as  to  in- 


VEGETABLES CELERY.  153 

duce  a  stocky  growth ;  plants  thus  treated  suffer  less  on 
being  transplanted. 

The  time  of  planting  out  in  the  Northern  States  may 
run  from  June  15th  to  the  end  of  July,  and  in  the  South- 
ern States  from  August  15th  to  the  end  of  September.  In 
this  section  we  prefer  to  plant  in  July,  as  there  is  but 
little  gained  by  attempting  it  early.  In  fact,  I  have  often 
seen  plants  raised  in  hot-beds  and  planted  out  in  June, 
far  surpassed  both  in  size  and  quality  by  those  raised  in 
the  open  ground  and  planted  a  month  later.  The  great 
difficulty  experienced  in  the  Southern  States  is  in  raising 
the  plants ;  for  if  sown  in  March  or  April,  as  we  do  here, 
the  high  temperature  and  dry  atmosphere  either  kill  the 
plants  outright,  or  so  shrivel  them  up  that  they  never 
start  to  make  a  free  growth.  There  is  no  way  of  obviat- 
ing the  difficulty,  unless  by  getting  the  plants  grown  at 
the  North  to  be  sent  South.  But  Celery  plants  grown  at 
the  North  at  the  usual  season  would  not  answer,  as  they 
would  become  so  large  that  they  would  require  to  be 
planted  out  before  the  end  of  July,  and  in  most  of  the 
Southern  States,  if  planted  then,  they  could  not  stand  the 
long  continued  high  temperature  and  dry  atmosphere  of 
August  and  September.  For  Celery  plants,  grown  at  the 
North-for  Southern  planting,  the  seed  should  not  be  sown 
before  the  end  of  May,  which  would  delay  their  fitness  to 
plant  until  August  or  September;  this  would  no  doubt 
answer  well,  as  the  genial  growing  weather  of  October, 
November,  and  December,  in  many  parts  of  the  South, 
would  be  well  adapted  to  their  growth.  It  is  doubtful 
if  this  special  growing  of  plants  is  likely  to  be  done,  and 
our  friends  at  the  South  must  submit  to  paying  us  for  our 


154  GA.EDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

Celery  already  grown,  just  as  we  must  submit  to  have  the 
cream  of  our  profits  taken  off  by  their  early  supply  of 
spring  vegetables.  It  is  a  geographical  condition  of  cul- 
ture that  both  sections  must  accept.  In  almost  all  the 
early  vegetables  the  first  supplies  come  from  southern 
gardens,  thus  anticipating  oar  crops  by  some  weeks; 
while  Celery  is  one  of  the  very  few  things  with  which 
we  can  compete  with  our  southern  friends  in  their  own 
markets.  Celery  is  a  plant  requiring  a  cool,  moist 
atmosphere,  and  it  is  nonsense  to  attempt  to  grow  it  early, 
in  our  hot  and  dry  climate ;  and  even  when  grown,  it  is 
not  a  vegetable  that  is  ever  very  palatable  until  cool 
weather.  This  our  market  experience  well  proves,  for  al- 
though we  always  have  a  fe\r  bunches  exposed  for  sale  in 
August  and  September,  there  is  not  one  root  sold  then  for 
a  thousand  that  are  sold  in  October  and  November.  Cel- 
ery is  always  grown  as  a  "  second  crop  "  by  us,  that  is,  it 
follows  after  the  spring  crop  of  Beets,  Onions,  Cabbage, 
Cauliflower,  or  Peas,  which  are  cleared  off  and  marketed, 
at  latest,  by  the  middle  of  July ;  the  ground  is  then  thor- 
oughly plowed  and  harrowed.  No  additional  manure  is 
used,  as  enough  remains  in  the  ground,  from  the  heavy 
coat  it  has  received  in  the  spring,  to  carry  through  the 
crop  of  Celery.  After  the  ground  has  been  nicejy  pre- 
pared, lines  are  struck  out  on  the  level  surface,  3  feet 
apart,  and  the  plants  set  6  niches  apart  in  the  rows.  If 
the  weather  is  dry  at  the  time  of  planting,  great  care 
should  be  taken  that  the  roots  are  properly  "firmed." 
Our  custom  jg,  to  turn  back  on  the  row,  and  press  by  the 
side  of  each  plant  gently  with  the  foot.  This  compacts 
the  soil  and  partially  excludes  the  air  from  the  root  until 


VEGETABLES CELEKY.  <.    155 

new  rootlets  are  formed,  which  will  usually  be  in  forty- 
eight  hours,  after  which  all  danger  is  over.  This  practice 
of  pressing  the  soil  closely  around  the  roots  is  essential  in 
planting  of  all  kinds,  and  millions  of  plants  are  annually 
destroyed  by  its  omission.  After  the  planting  of  the  Cel- 
ery is  completed,  nothing  further  is  to  be  done  for  six  or 
seven  weeks,  except  running  through  between  the  rows 
with  the  cultivator  or  hoe,  and  freeing  the  plants  of  weeds 
until  they  get  strong  enough  to  crowd  them  down.  This 
will  bring  us  to  about  the  middle  of  August,  by  which 


Fig.  41.—  CELEBT  APTEB  ''HANDLING." 


time  we  usually  have  that  moist  and  cool  atmosphere  es- 
sential to  the  growth  of  Celery.  Then  we  begin  the  "  earth- 
ing up,"  necessary  for  blanching  or  whitening  that  which 
is  wanted  for  use  during  the  months  of  September,  Octo- 
ber, and  November.  The  first  operation  is  that  of  "  hand- 
ling," as  we  term  it,  that  is,  after  the  soil  has  been  drawn 
up  against  the  plant  with  the  hoe,  it  is  further  drawn  close 
around  each  plant  by  the  hand,  firm  enough  to  keep  the 
leaves  in  an  upright  position  and  prevent  them  from 
spreading,  which  will  leave  them  as  shown  in  fig.  41. 


156  GABDENIKG   FOB   PROFIT. 

This  being  done,  more  soil  is  drawn  against  the  row,  (either 
by  the  plow  or  hoe,  as  circumstances  require),  so  as  to 
keep  the  plant  in  this  upright  position.  The  blanching 
process  must,  however,  be  finished  by  the  spade,  which  is 
done  by  digging  the  soil  from  between  the  rows  and 
banking  it  up  clear  to  the  top  on  each  side  of  the  row  of 
Celery,  as  in  fig.  42  Three  feet  is  ample  distance  be- 
tween the  dwarf  varieties,  but  when  "  Seymour's  Superb," 


Fig.  42. — CELERY  EAKTHED   UP. 

"  Giant,"  or  other  large  sorts  are  used,  the  width  between 
the  rows  must  be  at  least  4|  or  5  feet,  which  entails  much 
more  labor  and  loss  of  ground.  For  the  past  eight  years 
I  have  grown  none  but  the  dwarf  varieties,  and  have  saved 
in  consequence  at  least  one-half  in  labor,  and  one-third  in 
•ground,  while  the  average  price  per  root  in  market  has 
been  always  equal  and  occasionally  higher  than  for  the 
tall  growing  sorts. 

My  neighbors  around  me  have  at  last  got  their  eyes 
opened  to  the  value  of  the  dwarf  sorts,  and  I  think  that 
a  few  years  more  will  suffice  to  throw  the  large  and  coarse- 


VEGETABLES CELERY.  157 

flavored  sorts,  such  as  "  Seymour's  Superb,"  and  "  Giant," 
out  of  our  markets. 

The  preparation  of  the  soil  and  planting  of  Celery  for 
winter  use,  is  the  same  in  all  repects,  except  that,  what  is 
intended  for  winter  need  never  be  "  banked  up  "  with  the 
spade.  It  merely  requires  to  be  put  through  the  handling 
process,  to  put  it  in  a  compact  and  upright  position  pre- 
paratory to  being  stowed  away  in  winter  quarters.  This 
should  not  be  done  before  the  middle  of  September,  or 
just  long  enough  before  the  Celery  is  dug  up,  to  keep  it 
in  the  upright  position. 

We  have,  however,  another  method  which  we  have 
found  to  answer  very  well  for  the  late  crop,  and  it  is  one 
by  which  more  roots  can  be  grown  on  the  same  space 
and  with  less  labor  than  by  any  other.  It  is  simply  to 
plant  the  Celery  1  foot  apart,  each  way,  nothing  farther  be- 
ing required  after  planting,  except  twice  or  thrice  hoeing 
to  clear  the  crop  of  weeds  until  it  grows  enough  to  cover 
the  ground.  No  handling  or  earthing  up  is  required  by 
this  method,  for,  as  the  plants  struggle  for  light,  they  nat- 
urally assume  an  upright  position,  the  leaves  all  assuming 
the  perpendicular  instead  of  the  horizontal,  which  is  the 
condition  essential  before  being  put  in  winter  quarters. 
This  method  is  not  quite  so  general  with  us  as  planting  in 
rows,  and  it  is  perhaps  better  adapted  for  private  gardens 
than  for  market ;  as  the  plant  is  more  excluded  from  tha 
air,  the  root  hardly  attains  as  much  thickness  as  by  the 
other  plan. 

Our  manner  of  preserving  it  during  winter  is  now  very 
simple,  but  as  the  knowledge  of  the  process  is  yet  quite 
local,  being  confined  almost  exclusively  to  the  Jersey 


158  GARDENING   FOR  PROFIT. 

market  gardeners,  I  will  endeavor  to  put  it  plain  enough, 
BO  that  my  readers  "  may  go  and  do  likewise."  In  this 
locality  we  begin  to  dig  up  that  which  we  intend  for  win- 
ter use  about  the  end  of  October,  and  continne  the  work 
(always  on  dry  days)  until  the  20th  or  25th  of  November 
which  is  as  late  as  we  dare  risk  it  out  for  fear  of  frost 
Let  it  be  understood  that  Celery  will  stand  quite  a  sharp 
frost,  say  10  or  even  15  degrees,  while  20  or  25  degrees 
will  destroy  it.  Hence  experience  has  taught  us,  that  the 
sharp  frosts  that  we  usually  have  duiing  the  eai'ly  part  of 
November,  rarely  hurt  it,  though  often  causing  it  to  droop 
flat  on  the  ground,  until  thawed  out  by  the  sun.  It  must, 
however,  never  be  touched  when  in  the  frozen  state,  or  it 
is  almost  certain  to  decay.  The  ground  in  which  it  is 
placed  for  winter  use  should  be  as  dry  as  possible,  or  if 
not  dry,  so  arranged  that  no  wal  ^r  will  remain  in  the 
trench.  The  trench  should  be  dug  as  narrow  as  possible, 
not  more  than  10  or  12  inches  wide,  and  of  the  depth  ex- 
actly of  the  hight  of  the  Celery ;  that  is,  if  the  plant  of 
the  Celery  be  2  feet  in  length,  the  depth  of  the  drain  or 
trench  should  be  2  feet  also.  The  Celery  is  now  placed  in 
the  trench  as  near  perpendicular  as  possible,  so  as  to  fill  it 
up  entirely,  its  green  tops  being  on  a  level  with  the  top 
of  the  trench.  Figure  43  represents  a  section  across  a 
trench  filled  with  Celery  in  the  manner  just  described. 
No  earth  whatever  is  puf,  to  the  roots  other  than  what 
may  adhere  to  them  after  being  dug  up.  It  being  closely 
packed  together,  there  is  moisture  enough  always  at  the 
bottom  of  the  trench  to  keep  this  plant,  at  the  cool  season 
of  the  year,  from  wilting.  That  which  is  put  in  trenches 
about  the  25th  of  October,  is  usually  ready  to  be  takep 


VEGETABLES CELERY. 


159 


up  for  use  about  the  1st  of  December,  that  a  couple  of 
weeks  later,  by  1st  January,  and  the  last  (which  we  try 
always  to  defer  to  15th  or  20th  November)  may  be  used 
during  the  winter  and  until  the  1st  of  April.  For  the 
first  lot,  no  covering  is  required,  but  that  for  use  during  '• 
the  winter  months,  must  be  gradually  covered  up,  from  the 
middle  of  December,  on  until  1st  of  January,  when  it  will 
require  at  least  a  foot  of  covering  of  some  light,  dry  ma- 
terial— hay,  straw,  or  leaves — the  latter  perhaps  the  best 


Fig.  43. — CELERY  STOKED  FOB  WINTER. 

I  have  said  the  covering  up  should  be  gradual.  This  is 
very  important,  for  if  the  full  weight  of  covering  is  put  on 
at  once,  it  prevents  the  passing  oif  of  the  heat  generated  by 
the  closely  packed  mass  of  Celery,  and  in  consequence  it 
to  some  extent  "  heats,"  and  decay  takes  place.  Covered 
up  in  this  manner,  it  can  be  got  out  with  ease,  during  the 
coldest  weather  in  winter,  and  with  perfect  safety.  These 
dates  of  operations,  like  all  others  named  throughout,  are 
for  this  latitude ;  the  cultivator  must  use  his  judgment 
carefully  in  this  matter,  to  suit  the  section  in  which  he  is 
located. 


160  GARDENING   FOB    PROFIT. 

For  market  gardeners  and  others  who  have  large  quan- 
tities this  is  the  best  method  of  storing ;  but  for  smaller 
growers,  either  for  sale  or  for  private  use,  quite  a  quantity 
may  be  preserved  in  any  cellar  where  there  is  no  furnace 
or  other  fire  heat.  When  a  few  hundred  roots  only  are 
to  be  stored  it  can  be  placed  in  narrow  boxes,  say  9  inches 
wide,  4  or  6  feet  in  length,  and  of  a  depth  a  little  less  than 
the  height  of  the  Celery.  A  few  inches  of  sand  or  soil  is 
placed  on  the  bottom,  and  the  Celery  is  packed  in  the  box 
upright,  the  roots  being  placed  on  the  sand  at  the  bottom  ; 
the  Celery  must  be  packed  in  as  tight  as  possible,  but 
without  bruising.  Boxes  thus  packed  arifl  stood  on  the  cool 
floor  of  the  cellar,  if  put  away  in  November,  will  be  "blanch- 
ed "  fit  for  use  during  January,  February,  and  March.  If 
put  in  sooner  than  November  it  will  blanch  earlier,  and  if 
stored  later  it  will  keep  later.  If  larger  quantities  are  to 
be  kept  in  the  cellar,  the  cheapest  practicable  way  to  do 
so  is  to  begin  at  one  side  next  the  wall,  furthest  from  the  en- 
trance, and  erect  boards  across  the  cellar,  9  inches  from 
the  wall,  and  of  a  hight  a  little  less  than  the  length  of 
the  Celery — that  is,  if  the  Celery  is  24  inches  in  length, 
the  boarding  may  be  18  or  20  inches  high.  In  this  nar- 
row division  the  Celery  is  packed  in  upright,  as  above  de- 
scribed for  packing  in  boxes.  As  soon  as  the  first  tier  is 
filled,  erect  another  board  trench  or  division  at  9  inches 
distant  from  the  first,  and  so  on  until  the  whole  space  re- 
quired is  filled  up.  It  will  be  understood  that  no  soil  or 
sand  is  packed  between  the  stalks  of  Celery,  only  two  or 
three  inches  being  strewn  on  the  floor,  on  which  the  roots 
are  placed.  A  cellar  or  root-house  so  packed,  20  by  20 
feet,  will  hold  from  3,000  to  5,000  roots  of  Celery,  accord- 


VEGETABLES CELEKY.  1G1 

ing  to  their  size.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  get  the  board 
partitions  forming  the  trenches  or  divisions  between  the 
tiers  of  Celery  more  than  9  or  10  inches,  apart,  for  if  at 
much  greater  distance  the  stems  and  leaves  would  be  in 
too  large  masses  and  would  generate  heat  and  rot. 

As  the  cellar  or  root-house  is  usually  a  damp  and  dark 
apartment  there  will  generally  be  no  necessity  to  water 
the  Celery  after  it  is  packed.  Every  means  of  ventilation 
should  be  used,  even  in  cold  weather,  for  it  must  always 
be  borne  in  mind  that  Celery  is  a  vegetable  that  will  stand 
quite  a  severe  frost  without  injury,  so  if  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  cellar  falls  5  or  6  degrees  below  the  freezing 
point,  no  injury  will  be  done.  When  Celery  or  other  veg- 
etables are  packed  away  for  preservation  in  cellars  or  in 
the  open  field,  it  is  indispensable  that  no  water  be  allowed 
to  lodge  in  the  pit  or  trench ;  so  that  in  the  event  of  using 
a  cellar  or  root-house  for  this  purpose,  a  matter  of  first 
importance  is  thorough  drainage,  in  soils  where  drainage 
is  necessary. 

Regarding  the  profits  of  this  crop  I  can  speak  from  a 
very  extensive  experience  in  its  culture,  having  cultivated 
an  average  of  ten  acres  for  the  past  eighteen  years.  For 
many  years,  in  the  early  part  of  that  time,  it  was,  by  no 
means,  what  we  would  now  call  a  profitable  crop.  By 
persisting  in  raising  the  large  growing  sorts,  and  the  awk« 
ward  and  expensive  mode  we  had  then  of  working  it,  we 
were  satisfied  if  it  gave  us  a  profit  of  $50  or  $75  per  acre. 
But  for  the  last  six  or  eight  years,  by  adopting  the  flat 
culture,  and  the  drain  or  trench  system  for  winter  storage, 
it  has  done  much  better,  and  is  now  a  very  profitable 
"  second  crop,"  averaging  a  clear  profit  of  $300  per  acre, 


162  GARDENING  FOR   PROFIT. 

though  it  rarely  brings  over  $3  per  100  roots.  No  doubt, 
in  many  parts  of  the  country,  it  would  be  much  more  prof- 
itable than  in  the  crowded  markets  of  New  York.  It-  is 
shipped  from  here- in  all  directions ;  to  Philadelphia  (large- 
ly), Baltimore  and  Washington,  (South),  and  to  New- 
port, Providence,  Hartford  and  New  Haven,  (East).  It  is 
a  bulky  and  expensive  article  to  ship,  and  the  dealer  must 
realize  more  than  double  on  the  purchase,  or  it  will  not 
pay  his  risk.  It  must  thus  cost  the  consumer,  in  these 
towns  to  which  we  send  it,  8  or  10  cents  a  head,  a  price  at 
which  it  would  pay  a  clear  profit  of  $1000,  or  $1500  per 
acre. 

If  the  awkward  and  laborious  systems  of  cultivation 
still  persisted  in  for  the  growing  of  Celery,  is  a  mistake,  the 
continued  use  of  the  tall  growing  and  coarse  varieties, 
we  believe  to  be  even  a  far  greater  one.  The  kinds  that 
are  offered  in  European  catalogues  are  many,  but  in  the 
whole  list  there  are  but  few  that  «,re  desirable  for  the 
market  gardener  or  for  private  gardens.  The  climate  of 
England  is  much  more  favorable  to  the  growth  of  Celery 
than  that  of  our  country,  and  every  year  new  varieties 
are  offered  there,  of  which  only  now  and  then  one  proves 
of  permanent  value,  but  with  the  majority,  the  differences 
are  mainly  in  the  name.  The  following  are  all  the  kinds 
that  we  have  found  especially  valuable. 

Henderson's  Dwarf  White,— After  cultivating  this  for 
several  years  we  rank  it  as  decidedly  one  of  our  very  best 
varieties;  under  good  cultivation  it  attains  a  bight  of 
2  feet,  and  a  circumference  of  12  inches ;  it  is  perfectly 
solid,  the  stalks  half  round,  the  leaves  and  stems  being 
rather  light  green.  When  blanched,  it  is  a  yellowish- 


VEGETABLES CELERY.  163 

white,  crisp,  tender,  and  of  a  most  agreeable  nutty  flavor. 
The  great  advantage  of  this,  and  other  dwarf  sorts,  over 
the  large  kinds,  is,  that  nearly  every  part  of  the  plant  is 
fit  to  eat  when  blanched ;  for  instance  if  in  the  dwarf  va- 
rieties the  length  is  only  2  feet,  and  in  large  sorts  3  feet, 
the  extra  length  of  the  large  sort  is  unfit  for  use,  being 
usually  only  an  elongation  of  the  outer  leaves,  the  heart 
or  edible  part  rarely  rising  more  than  18  inches  in  the 
large  sorts,  while  the  dwarf  sorts  may  be  said  to  be  all 
heart.  This  variety,  for  fall  use,  is  planted  3  feet  be- 
tween the  rows,  by  6  inches  between  the  plants,  or  nearly 
27,000  roots  per  acre.  For  winter  use,  when  it  does  not 
require  to  be  "  banked,"  we  plant  2  feet  between  rows, 
and  6  inches  between  plants,  or  about  40,000  roots  per  acre. 

Sandringham  Dwarf  White.— An  improvement  on 
the  variety  above  named,  being  much  larger  in  all  its 
parts.  It  is  simply  a  stock  selected  from  the  other,  being 
identical  with  it  in  all  respects  except  in  size. 

Boston  Market. — A  variety  very  similar  to  the  above, 
but  rather  more  robust,  though  a  dwarf  variety;  the  leaves 
are  darker  green,  the  stalks  when  blanched  nearly  white ; 
it  is  solid,  crisp,  and  tender ;  an  excellent  variety. 

Hood's  Dwarf  Red. — A  variety  similar  in  all  respects 
to  the  "Dwarf  White,"  except  in  color  of  the  stalks, 
which  are  of  a  rosy  crimson.  Although  the  flavor  of  the 
red  varieties  of  Celery  is  acknowledged  to  be  superior  to 
the  white,  and  the  appearance,  when  blanched,  certainly 
far  richer,  yet,  for  some  unexplained  reason,  they  do  not 
so  readily  sell  in  our  markets.  In  the  London  markets, 
about  equal  quantities  of  each  are  sold. 

Seymour's   Superb.— The  best  of  the  large-growing 


164 


GAKBElSriXG   'FOB    PROFIT. 


sorts,  attaining  a  bight,  under  good  culture,  of  3  feet.  It 
should  never  be  planted  closer  than  4  feet  between  the 
rows,  or  it  cannot  be  worked  properly.  For  southern  sec- 
tions of  the  country,  this  variety  is  more  suitable  than  the 
dwarfs,  as  it  grows  freer  in  a  hot  and  dry  atmosphere. 


CELERIAC,  OR  TURNIP-ROOTED  CELERY. 

(Apium  graveolens.     Far.) 

Is  grown  from 
seeds  sown  in  the 
same  manner,  and 
planted  out  at  the 
same  seasons  as 
directed  for  Cel- 
ery ;  but  as  it  re- 
quires but  a  slight 
earthing  up,  it  is 
planted  closer 
than  ordinaryCel- 
ery,  18  inches  be- 
tween the  rows 
and  6  inches  be- 
tween the  plants. 
It  is  preserved  for 
winter  use  in  shal- 
low trenches,  and 
covered  up,  as 
the  season  ad- 
vances, as  direct- 
ed for  Celery.  It 

Fig.  44.— CELERIAC. 


*       VEGETABLES CHIVES CORN   SALAD CKESS.  165 

is  as  yet  grown  to  but  a  limited  extent  here,  being  used 
only  by  the  French  and  Germans.  The  Turnip-like  root 
is  cooked,  or  it  is  sliced  and  used  with  vinegar,  making  a 
most  excellent  salad. 

CHIVES.— (Allium  Scfumoprasum.) 

A  small  bulbous-rooted  plant  of  the  Onion  tribe,  en- 
tirely hardy  and  of  the  easiest  culture,  as  it  will  grow  on 
almost  any  soil  for  many  years  without  renewal.  It  is 
propagated  by  division  of  the  root,  and  may  be  planted  at 
9  or  10  inches  apart ;  the  leaves  are  the  parts  used,  which 
may  be  repeatedly  shorn  off  during  the  early  summer 
months.  They  are  sometimes  used  in  soups,  but  more 
generally  in  the  raw  state. 


CORN  SALAD,  OR  FETTICTTS,-<M«  olitoria.) 
A  vegetable  used  as  a  salad,  and  sold  to  a  consider 
able  extent  in  our  markets.  It  is  sown  on  the  first  open- 
ing of  spring,  in  rows  1  foot  apart,  and  is  fit  for  use  in  six 
or  eight  weeks  from  time  of  sowing.  If  wanted  to  come 
in  early  in  spring,  it  is  sown  in  September,  covered  up 
with  straw  or  hay,  as  soon  as  cold  weather  sets  in,  and  is 
wintered  over  exactly  as  Spinach.  The  covering  is  re- 
moved in  March  or  April  when  it  starts  to  grow,  and  ii 
one  of  our  first  green  vegetables  in  spring. 


CRESS,  OR  PEPPER  GRASS.— (Lepidium  sativum.) 
Another  early  spring  vegetable,  used  as  a  salad,  and  of 
easy  culture.    It  is  sown  in  early  spring  in  rows  1  foot 


166  GARDENING  FOB   PROFIT.  • 

apart;  as  »t  runs  quickly  to  seed,  succession  sowings 
should  be  made  every  eight  or  ten  days.  There  are  sev 
eral  varieties,  but  the  kind  in  general  use  is  the  Curled, 
which  answers  the  purpose  of  garnishing  as  well  as  foi 
salads. 


CEESS— WATER.— (Nasturtium  officinale.) 

This  is  a  well-known  hardy  perennial  aquatic  plant, 
growing  abundantly  along  the  margins  of  running  streams, 
ditches,  and  ponds,  and  sold  in  immense  quantities  in  our 
markets  in  spring.  Where  it  does  not  grow  naturally,  it 
is  easily  introduced  by  planting  along  the  margins  of  ponds 
or  streams,  where  it  quickly  increases,  both  by  spreading  of 
the  root  and  by  seeding.  Many  a  farmer,  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York,  realizes  more  profit  from  the  Water  Cress- 
es, cut  from  the  margin  of  a  brook  running  through  his 
farm,  in  two  or  three  weeks  in  spring,  than  from  his 
•whole  year's  hard  labor  in  growing  Corn,  Hay,  or  Potatoes. 

Water  Cress  can  be  best  cultivated  in  places  where  the 
streams  run  through  a  level  tract.  Supposing  the  stream 
to  be  a  foot  deep  on  an  average  and  six  or  eight  feet  wide, 
running  through  a  meadow,  a  good  plan  for  cultivation  is 
to  make  excavations  laterally — say  in  beds  5  feet  wide 
(with  alleys  between  5  feet),  to  a  depth  of  about  8  inches, 
.or  deep  enough  to  be  flooded  by  the  stream  when  it  is  of 
average  height  or  when  shallow,  by  damming  it  up  so  as 
to  flood  the  beds. 

The  advantage  of  having  the  beds  excavated  at  right 
angles  to  the  stream  rather  than  parallel  with  it  is,  that  in 


VEGETABLES — CRESS.  167 

the  event  of  freshets  the  crop  is  less  liable  to  be  washed 
away.  The  length  and  number  of  the  beds  excavated, 
must,  of  course,  be  determined  by  circumstances.  Water- 
cress seeds  germinate  freely  in  earth  when  kept  saturated; 
hence  the  beds  when  properly  levelled  and  pulverized  by 
digging  and  raking  should  be  slightly  flooded — enough  to 
saturate  the  soil  only  until  the  seeds  germinate — for,  of 
course,  if  the  beds  were  filled  up  with  water  the  seeds 
would  be  washed  off.  After  the  seedlings  have  started  SQ 
as  to  show  green,  the  water  may  be  gradually  let  on  as 
they  develop.  Probably  the  best  time  of  sowing  the  seed 
would  be,  for  the  latitude  of  New  York,  about  the  middle 
of  August.  When  Water  Cress  is  found  growing  natur- 
ally the  beds  can  be  made  by  setting  the  plants  six  or 
twelve  inches  apart  each  way.  When  the  cultivation  is 
once  fairly  begun  there  is  no  difficulty  about  forming  new 
beds,  as  few  plants  grow  more  rapidly  when  proper  con- 
ditions are  present.  If  the  crop  is  planted  or  sown  the 
middle  of  August,  it  will  have  spread  all  over  the  beds  by 
November.  The  streams  being  full  in  autumn  the  beds 
will  be  fully  flooded  so  as  to  protect  the  plants  during 
winter.  It  is  always  found  wild  growing  best  in  clear, 
shallow,  slowly-running  water  with  a  sandy  or  gravelly 
bottom ;  and  as  nature  is  always  the  surest  guide  to 
successful  cultivation,  the  nearer  it  can  be  imitated  the 
better  the  success.  I  find  it  is  one  of  the  plants  the  cul- 
ture of  which  is  not  very  easy  to  give  by  writing,  as  so 
much  must  be  determined  by  the  circumstances  of  locality. 
Wherever  a  suitable  stream  is  at  command  the  experiment 
of  growing  Water  Cress  is  worth  trial,  especially 
when  we  know  that  it,  in  many  cases,  pays  for  a  given 


168  GARDENING    FOB    PROFIT. 

area  six  or  eight  times  more  than  any  other  vegetable  cul- 
tivated, provided  it  can  be  sold  in  the  markets  of  New 
York  or  Philadelphia. 

It  is  usually  sold  in  baskets  containing  about  3  quarts, 
which  sell,  when  first  in  market,  at  $1  each ;  200  or  300 
such  are  carried  in  an  ordinary  wagon,  so  that  from  a  sin- 
gle load  of  this  simple  vegetable,  $200  to  $300  are  realiz- 
ed. The  Water  Cress  has  a  particularly  pleasant  pungent 
taste,  agreeable  to  most  people  in  early  spring. 

It  is  said,  that  when  Sir  Joseph  Banks  first  arrived  in 
England  after  his  voyage  around  the  world,  among  the 
first  things  he  asked  for  were  Water  Cresses,  well  know- 
ing their  value  as  a  purifier  of  the  blood ;  and  that  he  af- 
terwards presented  one  of  the  largest  Water  Cress  grow- 
ers for  the  London  market  a  Banksian  Medal,  for  energy 
shown  in  the  business,  believing  that  while  he  had  benefit- 
ed himself,  he  had  benefited  the  community.  I  have  no 
doubt  whatever,  that,  in  situations  where  irrigation  could 
be  used  at  pleasure,  and  regular  plantations  made  as  for 
Cranberries,  that,  grown  in  this  way, — -judging  from  the 
enormous  price  they  sell  at,  picked  up  aft  they  are  in  the 
present  hap-hazard  way — at  present  prices,  an  acre  would 
Bell  for  $4000  or  $5000. 


COLEWORT,  OE  COLLARDS.-(£«mwa  oleracea.) 
Collards,  as  grown  in  this  country,  are  nothing  more  than 
sowings  of  any  early  variety  of  Cabbage,  in  rows  about 
one  foot  apart,  which  are  cut  off  for  use  when  6  or  8 


VEGETABLES— CORN.  169 

inches  high.  Spring  sowings  may  be  made  every  two 
weeks  from  April  to  June ;  and  in  fall  from  September,  as 
late  as  the  season  will  admit.  I  have  never  seen  them 
sold  in  our  markets. 


Mays.) 

The  varieties  known  as  "  Sweet,"  are  the  sorts  most 
cultivated  for  culinary  use  in  the  green  state.  It  may  be 
either  sown  in  rows  4*  feet  apart,  and  the  seeds  planted  at 
8  or  9  inches  in  the  rows,  or  planted  in  hills  at  distances 
of  3  or  4  feet  each  way,  according  to  the  variety  grown 
or  the  richness  of  the  soil  in  which  it  is  planted.  The 
taller  the  variety,  or  richer  the  soil,  the  greater  should  ba 
the  distance  apart.  The  soil  best  suited  for  Corn,  for  an 
early  crop,  is  a  well  enriched  sandy  loam.  The  planting 
should  never  be  done  until  the  weather  is  settled  and 
warm,  as  heat  is  indispensable  to  the  healthy  growth  of 
Corn.  We  make  our  first  plantings,  in  this  vicinity,  about 
the  middle  of  May,  and  continue  succession  plantings  ev- 
ery two  or  three  weeks  until  the  first  week  in  July,  which 
date  is  the  latest  at  which  we  can  plant  and  be  sure  of  a  crop 
of  "  roasting  ears."  In  more  southerly  latitudes,  planting 
is  begun  a  month  earlier,  and  continued  a  month  later. 
The  crop  is  not  profitable  enough  for  the  market  garden, 
but  the  farmers  realize  double  the  price  for  Sweet  Corn 
when  sold  in  the  green  state  in  our  markets,  that  they  do 
for  ripe  Corn,  besides,  as  the  ground  can  be  cleared  when 
thus  sold  in  August,  it  can  be  used  afterwards  for  Turnips. 

About  a  dozen  years  ago  I  came  into  possession,  about 
the  1st  of  May,  of  a  four-acre  plot  that  had  lain  for  many 


170  GARDENING    FOE    PROFIT. 

years  in  sod.  It  was  then  too  late  to  "be  able  to  break  it 
up  for  planting  any  of  the  finer  kinds  of  vegetables ;  so  I 
decided  to  plant  it  with  Sweet  Corn.  Accordingly,  I  had 
the  sod  plowed  over  flat  in  such  a  manner  as  would  best 
rot  it'.  I  was  careful  to  have  the  furrows  straight,  and  at 
£very  five  feet,  where  they  lapped  together,  I  dropped 
Sweet  Corn  at  four  or  five  inches  apart,  so  that  when  it 
started  to  grow  it  stood  in  regular  lines  five  feet  distant. 
The  Corn  was  planted  about  May  20th,  and  hoed  around 
the  line  as  it  grew,  the  space  between  being  run  over  by 
the  harrow  cultivator.  By  the  middle  of  June,  from  the 
action  of  the  cultivator,  the  space  between  the  rows  of 
Corn  was  in  fine  friable  condition,  and  Celery  was  planted 
in  double  rows,  ten  inches  apart.  The  shade  given  by 
the  Corn  was  of  no  injury  to  the  Celery  at  this  early  stage 
of  its  growth,  and  as  the  Corn  crop  was  sold,  and  the 
stalks  were  cleared  off  by  the  middle  of  August,  the 
growth  of  the  Celery  was  not  in  the  slightest  impaired. 
The  whole  transaction  was  quite  satisfactory;  the  Corn 
crop  sold  (green)  for  about  $600,  or  $150  per  acre.  The 
Celery,  at  about  $400  per  acre,  which  was  exceedingly 
low,  not  much  more  than  one  cent  per  root  for  every  root 
planted.  In  some  subsequent  years,  the  price  would  have 
trebled  that  for  the  same  quantity.  No  fertilizer  was  used, 
except  a  slight  sprinkling  of  bone-dust  for  the  Celery.  A 
profit  of  from  $50  to  $100  is'said  to  be  realized  per  acre 
from  Sweet  Corn.  The  best  known  varieties  are : 

Early  Narragansett, — This  is  one  of  the  earliest  varie- 
ties. The  ears  are  quite  small,  seldom  being  more  than  five 
inches  in  length ;  eight  or  ten  rowed.  It  is  tender  and  of 
fine  flavor,  and  is  recommended  as  a  first  early  variety. 


VEGETABLES CORN.  171 

Early  Darling,  or  Eight-rowed,— Early,  of  good  size, 
and  under  good  cultivation,  averages  three  ears  on 
each  stalk.  It  is  tender  and  sweet.  As  it  is  rather  dwarf 
growing,  it  need  never  be  planted  more  than  3  feet  apart. 

Dwarf  Early  Sugar.— This  variety  rarely  grows  more 
than  4  or  5  feet  in  hight,  suckering  up  from  the  main 
stem,  often  five  or  six  shoots — which  bear  an  average  of 
two  ears  each ;  these,  however,  are  small,  not  more  than 
5  or  6  inches  in  length,  and  quite  slender.  It  is  too  small 
for  market  purposes,  but  is  the  most  valuable  variety 
grown  for  family  use,  being  early,  tender,  sweet,  and 
productive.  We  prefer  to  grow  this  variety  in  rows  3 
feet  apart,  and  1  foot  between  the  plants. 

Crosby's  Early  Sugar. — A  variety  highly  esteemed  in 
the  Boston  Market.  Ears  rather  short ;  from  twelve  to  six- 
teen rows  ;  productive  and  of  good  quality. 

Mammoth  Sweet. — A  late  variety,  and  one  of  the  largest. 
Ears  twelve  to  sixteen  rowed ;  productive  and  fine  flavored. 

Stowell's  Evergreen. — Also  a  late  variety,  having  the 
peculiarity  of  remaining  longer  in  the  green  state  than 
any  other  sort ;  on  this  account  it  is  very  popular. 

Asylum  Sugar. — A  large  late  variety  of  tall  growth, 
used  to  succeed  the  earlier  sorts ;  it  is  productive,  and  has 
every  desirable  quality  except  earliness.  Should  be 
planted  in  hills  4  feet  by  3. 

Most  persons  who  raise  Sweet  Corn  for  market  have  a 
favorite  variety,  or  rather  strain  of  their  own.  By  care- 
fully selecting  for  seed  each  year  those  ears  that  have  de- 
sirable peculiarities  most  strongly  marked,  a  strain  is  soon 
established  especially  suited  to  the  locality.  Of  course 
great  care  must  be  taken  to  prevent  contamination  by 


172  GARDENING  FOR  PROFIT. 

pollen  from  other  varieties  of  Sweet  Corn  as  -well  as  by  that 
of  Field  Corn.  The  fodder  from  a  crop  of  Sweet  Corn  is 
an  important  item  to  the  farmers  who  raise  it,  and  this 
has  not  been  taken  into  account  in  the  above  estimate  of 
profits.  As  the  corn  is  picked  green,  the  stalks  still  con- 
tain much  nutriment,  and  if  well  cured,  are  about  as  val- 
uable as  the  same  weight  of  hay. 


CUCUMBER.—  (Gucumis  satiws.) 

The  growing  of  the  Cucumber  out-of-doors  is,  in  most 
places,  attended  with  a  great  deal  of  annoyance  and 
loss,  occasioned  by  the  attacks  of  the  "  Striped  Bug." 
When  the  seed  is  sown  in  the  open  ground,  repeated  sow- 
ings are  often  utterly  destroyed  by  this  pest,  despite  of 
all  remedies.  To  avoid  this,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
forward  the  crop  at  least  a  week,  we  have  long  adopted 
the  following  method,  with  the  greatest  success.  About 
the  middle  of  May,  (for  this  section),  we  cut  from  a  pas- 
ture lot,  sods  from  2  to  3  inches  thick,  these  are  placed  with 
the  grassy  side  down,  either  on  the  benches  of  our  forcing 
house,  in  an  exhausted  hot-bed,  or  inside  of  a  cold  frame ; 
at  that  season  of  the  year  any  one  of  these  will  do  as 
well  as  another.  The  sods  being  fitted  together  neatly 
so  that  all  crevices  are  filled  up ;  they  are  then  cut  into 
squares  about  3  or  4  inches  in  length  and  breadth  j  on  each 
of  these  are  planted  2  or  3  seeds  of  Cucumber,  and  over 
the  whole  is  sifted  about  half  an  inch  of  covering  of  some 
light  rich  mold.  They  are  then  sprinkled  thoroughly  from 


VEGETABLES — CTTCUMBEB.  173 

a  Rose  Watering-pot,  and  the  sashes  put  on,  and  kept  close 
until  the  seeds  begin  to  germinate,  which  will  be  in  three 
or  four  days.  As  soon  as  they  are  up,  the  sashes  must  be 
raised  to  admit  air,  else  the  sun's  rays,  acting  on  the  glass, 
would  raise  the  temperature  too  high ;  at  that  season  of 
the  year  the  sashes,  as  a  rule,  may  be  tilted  up  at  8  or  9 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  shut  down  by  3  or  4  o'clock 
hi  the  afternoon.  By  the  tune  the  Cucumber  plants  have 
attained  two  or  three  of  their  rough  leaves,  which  will  be 
in  about  three  weeks  from  the  time  of  so  whig,  they  are 
planted  out  in  the  open  ground  in  hills  3  feet  apart  each 
way.  The  hills  should  have  been  previously  prepared,  by 
mixing  thoroughly  with  the  soil  in  each,  a  shovelful  of 
well-rotted  manure. 

It  is  always  better  to  plant  in  the  afternoon,  rather  than 
during  the  early  part  of  the  day,  as  the  coolness  and  mois- 
ture at  night,  enable  the  plants  to  recuperate  from  the  ef- 
fects of  removal  If  the  weather  is  hot  and  dry,  it  is  safer 
to  give  each  hill  a  thorough  watering  once,  immediately 
after  planting.  I  have  recommended  sods  in  preference  to 
flower-pots  for  starting  the  Cucumbers,  inasmuch  as  they 
are  not  only  procurable  in  all  places,  but  our  experience 
.s,  Jiat  the  sod  is  even  better  than  the  flower-pot ;  it  better 
retains  moisture,  and  there  is  a  freshness  about  sod  in 
which  the  roots  of  all  plants  love  to  revel,  and  which  no 
composts  we  can  prepare  can  ever  equal.  It  will  be  seen 
that  the  expense  of  growing  Cucumbers,  in  this  manner,  is 
considerable;  to  grow  enough  for  an  acre — about  5000 
hills — it  will  require  the  use  of  at  least  20, 3  x  6  sashes,  and 
the  preparation  of  the  sod,  and  attention  in  airing,  etc., 
until  they  are  fit  to  plant,  will  involve  ten  times  more  ex- 


174  GARDENING   FOB  PROMT. 

pense  than  simply  sowing  the  seed  in  the  hills;  but  all 
such  expenditures  are  well  returned,  for  it  is  safe  to  say, 
that  the  profits  would  always  be  at  least  three  times  more 
by  this  plan  than  by  the  other.  The  average  receipts  are 
^750  per  acre ;  working  expenses  probably  $250,  and  the 
crop  is  off  in  time  for  Turnips  or  Spinach  as  a  second  crop. 

The  Cucumber  is  a  vegetable  perhaps  better  fitted  than 
any  other  for  southern  market  gardeners.  There  is  no 
doubt,  that  by  the  forwarding  process  above  described,  it 
could  be  got  in  marketable  condition  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Charleston  or  Savannah,  at  least  a  month  before  it 
could  in  New  York,  and  as  it  is  one  of  the  easiest  things 
we  have  to  ship,  a  profitable  business  could  be  made  of 
growing  it  to  send  North.  The  profits  on  an  acre  of  Cu- 
cumbers, grown  by  this  method  in  Charleston,  and  sold  in 
New  York  in  June,  would,  I  think,  exceed  the  average 
profits  of  fifty  acres  of  Cotton. 

Cucumbers  are  also  extensively  grown  for  pickling; 
hundreds  of  acres  being  used  for  this  purpose  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  New  York,  especially  in  Westchester  County. 
Sod  or  stubble  land,  plowed  in  early  fall,  and  again  turned 
over  twice  or  thrice  in  spring,  is  the  condition  of  soil  usu- 
ally chosen.  The  ground  is  marked  out  as  for  Corn,  4 
feet  each  way,  and  a  good  shovelful  of  well-rotted  manure, 
dug  in  at  the  angle  which  forms  the  hill ;  the  seed  is  sown — 
about  a  dozen  in  each  hill — usually  about  the  20th  of  June, 
Out  equally  good  crops  can  be  obtained  by  sowings  made 
as  late  as  the  middle  of  July.  The  average  price  of  late 
years  has  been  $1.50  per  1000,  and  the  number  grown  per 
acre  on  properly  cultivated  lands,  is  150,000,  which  is  $225 
gross  receipts  per  acre.  The  expense  of  raising  are  said 


VEGETABLES CUCUMBER.  175 

to  be  about  one-hal£  These  profits  would  not  satisfy  the 
market  gardener  on  his  few  valuable  acres  near  the  city, 
but,  no  doubt,  are  remunerative  enough  to  the  farmers, 
with  large  quantities  of  cheap  land. 

The  varieties  are  numerous,  and  embrace  many  very 
well  marked  kinds.  The  large  growing  kinds  that  attain 
2  feet  or  more  in  length,  have  never  become  favorites  in 
our  American  markets. 

White  Spined, — Belongs  to  the  short  growing  section, 
is  of  medium  size,  from  6 
to  8  inches  in  length  and 
2  to  3  inches  in  diameter ; 
Fig.  45.— WHITE-SPINED  CUCUMBER,    it  is  a  very  handsome  va- 
riety, deep  green,  flesh  crisp,  and  of  fine  flavor.     The  va- 
riety almost  exclusively  grown  for  market  in  New  York. 
Early  Russian. — This  is  the  earliest  variety,  coming 
into  use  about  ten  days  before  the  Early  Cluster,  which 
it  resembles  in  some  respects,  but  is  smaller  and  shorter. 
The  fruit  is  generally  produced  in  pairs,  and  is  from  three 
to  four  inches  long,  hardy,  productive,  and  well  flavored. 
One  of  the  best  varieties  for  private  gardens. 

Early  Frame. — A  very  handsome  small-growing  vari- 
ety, rarely  exceeding  5  inches  in  length,  and  has  fewer 
spines  than  the  preceding.  It  is  often  a  question  whether 
this  or  the  White  Spined  is  more  desirable,  so  that  of  late 
years  we  have  grown  about  an  equal  quantity  of  each  for 
forcing  or  forwarding  under  glass. 

Early  Cluster. — A  much  esteemed  early  variety,  grow- 
ing in  clusters  and  extremely  productive ;  its  color  is  blue- 
ish-green,  shading  lighter  at  the  extremities. 

Long  Green  Prickly. — This  is  a  large-sized  variety, 


176  GABDENIITO   FOR  PEOFIT. 

growing  about  a  foot  in  length,  and  is  somewhat  later 
than  the  White  Spine.  It  is  a  good  variety  for  the  table, 
and  makes  an  excellent  pickle  if  gathered  while  young. 
Fruit  dark  green,  firm  and  crisp. 

Small  Gherkin,  or  Burr, — This  variety,  used  exclu- 
sively for  pickling,  is  a  species  distinct  from  the  com- 
mon Cucumber ;  it  is  very  small,  length  from  2  to  3  inches ; 
a  strong  growing  sort,  and  should  be  planted  5  feet  apart. 


EGG   PLANT,— (Solanum  Melongena.) 

The  cultivation  of  the  Egg  Plant,  from  its  extreme  ten- 
derness, is,  in  its  early  stage,  attended  perhaps  with  more 
trouble  than  any  vegetable  of  our  gardens.  A  native  of 
Tropical  America,  it  at  all  times  requires  a  high  tempera- 
ture ;  for  this  reason,  in  this  latitude,  the  seeds  had  better 
not  be  sown  in  the  hot-bed  until  first  week  in  April,  and 
rfven  then  a  steady  bottom  heat  is  necessary  to  a  healthy 
development,  and  there  should  be  warm  covering  at  night 
aver  the  sashes.  I  have  always  found  that  in  tender 
plants  of  this  kind,  there  was  nothing  gained  by  starting 
early,  even  though  by  great  care  the  plants  are  carried 
through  the  cold  season.  By  the  time  they  can  be  planted 
in  the  open  ground,  about  June  first,  those  started  first 
of  March,  would  be  no  larger  than  those  started  first  of 
April,  besides  being  harder  both  in  roots  and  leaves,  in 
which  condition  they  are  far  inferior  to  the  younger  plants 
that  have  been  raised  with  less  than  half  the  labor. 

A  correspondent  from  an  inland  town  writes  that,  for 
the  first  time,  the  Egg  Plant  has  been  grown  in  his  section 


VEGETABLES — EGG   PLANT.  177 

this  season,  and  that  it  has  been  a  wonder  to  the  good 
people  of  that  place,  and  they  wish  for  more  light  on  its 
culture  and  uses.  This  gentleman  says  that  the  earliest 
and  best  fruit  is  produced  on  the  plants,  last  set  out  (June 
10th),  and  seems  to  wonder  that  such  should  be  the  case. 
His  experience  here  teaches  a  forcible  lesson  on  the  sub- 
ject that  we  so  often  dwell  upon,  cautioning  against  the 
sowing  or  planting  of  tender  kinds,  such  as  Tomato,  Egg 
Plant,  Cucumber,  or  Melon,  too  early.  In  the  latitude  of 
New  York,  Egg  Plants  should  never  be  sown  in  hot-beds 
sooner  than  April  20th,  the  temperature  of  the  hot-bed  to 
be  not  less  than  70°  at  night.  The  plant  at  no  season  of 
its  growth  should  be  kept  for  any  length  of  time  at  a 
lower  average  temperature  than  70°,  and  for  this  reason : 
The  experiment  of  my  correspondent  demonstrated  that  his 
plants,  planted  in  open  air  on  May  19th,  were  inferior  to 
those  set  out  on  June  10th.  Egg  Plants,  when  they  first 
germinate,  are  very  sensitive  to  damp  and  to  being  chilled, 
and  the  amateur  often  fails  to  raise  them,  even  with  his 
hot-bed ;  but  as  they  are  now  grown  in  all  large  towns, 
those  wishing  to  try  them,  and  not  having  the  proper 
means  of  raising  the  plants,  can  procure  them  at  trifling 
expense  from  the  market  gardeners  or  florists  of  their 
nearest  town.  The  soil  in  which  they  fruit  best  is  a  light, 
sandy  loam,  well  enriched  by  decayed  stable  manure. 

The  Egg  fruit  is  fit  for  use  from  the  time  it  is  the  size 
of  a  turkey's  egg  until  it  is  full  grown,  say  five  inches  in 
diameter ;  but  it  is  not  so  good  when  the  seeds  become 
hard  and  indicate  an  appearance  of  ripening. 

The  soil  in  which  Egg  Plants  are  to  be  grown  can 
hardly  be  too  rich,  for  it  is  a  plant  that  will  generally  re- 


IT'S  GARDENING    FOB   PROFIT. 

pay  good  treatment.  They  are  planted  from  2  to  3  feet 
apart,  according  to  the  degree  of  richness  of  soil ;  in  the 
fertile  market  gardens  never  less  than  3  feet.  Although 
their  sale  is  comparatively  limited,  yet  from  the  difficul- 
ties often  experienced  in  raising  the  plants,  all  that  are 
offered,  are  sold  at  good  prices ;  the  average  is  about  $1 
per  dozen,  each  plant  producing  six  to  nine  full-sized  fruit. 
It  is  more  important  with  this  vegetable  to  select  the 
proper  variety  for  growing,  than  with  any  other  that  I 
know ;  for  that  reason  we  are  chary  of  touching  any  other 
Sort  for  market  purposes  than  the 
New  York  Improved. — This  is  our  leading  market 


Fig.  46. — N.  T.  IMPROVED 

EGG  PLANT.  Fig.  47. — BLACK  PEKIN  EGG  PLANT. 

variety  and  is  readily  distinguishable  from  either  the 
"  Large  Round "  or  "  Long  Purple "  varieties,  in  the 
plant  being  more  robust  in  all  its  parts,  the  leaves  and 
stems  also  being  thickly  studded  with  spines,  which  are 
not  found  to  any  extent  on  the  other  varieties.  A  pro- 
ductive and  excellent  variety. 

Long  Purple, — Different  in  shape  from  the  foregoing; 
sometimes  deep  purple,  and  again  pale,  with  white  or 
yellowish  stripes.  Early,  productive,  and  of  easy  culture. 


VEGETABLES ENDIVE.  179 

Black  Pekilli — A  new  variety  of  superior  excellence  ; 
fruit,  glossy,  deep  purple,  almost  black,  of  globular 
form  and  very  solid.  It  is  earlier  and  more  productive 
than  the  New  York  Improved,  and  much  superior  in 
flavor. 

Scarlet-fruited  Egg  Plant,— This  is  more  grown  as  a 
curious  ornamental  plant  than  for  culinary  use,  the  fruit  is 
about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  duck  egg,  of  beautiful  scarlet. 

White-fruited  Egg  Plant,— Similar  in  growth  to  the 
scarlet,  but  the  fruit  is  larger,  and  of  an  ivory  whiteness. 
It  is  good  when  cooked,  but  much  less  productive,  and  like 
the  Scarlet,  is  grown  more  for  curiosity  and  ornament. 


ENDIVE.— (Cichorium  Endivia.) 

The  cultivation  of  this  vegetable  for  market  purposes  is 
not  yet  extensive,  it  being  used  by  few  except  our  Ger- 
man and  French  population.  It  is,  however,  offered  now 
by  the  wagon  load,  where  a  few  years  ago  a  few  basket- 
fuls  would  have  supplied  all  the  demand.  Like  all  other 
vegetables  that  are  grown  in  limited  quantities,  it  com- 
mands a  high  price,  and  the  few  who  do  raise  it  find  it 
very  profitable. 

Like  Lettuce,  it  may  be  sown  at  any  time  from  early 
spring  until  August,  and  perfect  its  crop  the  season  of 
sowing.  As  it  is  used  almost  exclusively  in  the  fall 
months,  the  main  sowings  are  made  in  June  and  July, 
from  which  plantations  are  formed,  at  1  foot  apart  each 
way,  in  August  and  September.  It  requires  no  special 


180  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

soil  or  manure,  and  after  planting,  it  is  kept  clear  of 
•weeds  by  hoeing  and  weeding,  until  the  plant  has  attained 
its  full  size,  when  the  process  of  blanching  begins ;  for  it  is 
never  used  except  when  blanched,  as  it  is  harsh  and  bit- 
ter in  the  green  state.  Blanching  is  effected  by  gath- 
ering up  the  leaves,  and  tying  them  up  by  their  tips  in  a 
conical  form,  with  bass  matting.  This  excludes  the  light 
and  air  from  the  inner  leaves,  which  in  the  course  of  three 
to  six  weeks,  according  to  the  temperature  at  the  time, 
become  blanched. 

Another  method  is  much  simpler  and  quicker,  and  is  the 
one  mostly  practised  by  those  who  grow  Endive  for  mar- 
ket ;  it  consists  simply  in  covering  up  the  plants  as  they 
grow,  with  slates  or  boards,  which  serves  the  same  pur- 
pose, by  excluding  the  light,  as  the  tying  up.  The  aver- 
age price  during  the  months  of  October,  November,  and 
December,  is  $1  per  dozen. 

The  best  sorts  are  the  following : 

Green  Curled,— This  is  not  only  one  of  the  most  use- 
ful as  a  salad,  but  is  highly  ornamental  from  its  delicately 
cut  and  curled  leaves ;  it  is  much  used  for  garnishing. 

Moss  Curled, — This  variety  is  as  yet  scarce,  but  no  doubt 
it  will  soon  be  extensively  cultivated.  From  the  density 
of  the  foliage,  the  plant  is  heavier  than  the  Green  Curled, 
is  equally  agreeable  as  a  salad,  and  its  appearance,  either 
green  or  blanched,  is  particularly  handsome. 

Broad-leaved  Batavian, — A  loose  growing  variety 
forming  but  little  heart.  As  with  this  blanching  can  only 
be  accomplished  by  tying  up,  it  is  not  so  desirable  as 
either  of  the  preceding. 


VEGETABLES GARLIC HORSERADISH.  181 

White  Curled. — This,  as  the  name  indicates,  has  white 
or  light  foliage ;  it  is  more  tender  than  the  Green ;  it  can- 
not be  recommended  except  as  an  ornamental  variety. 


GAELIC.— (Allium  sativum.} 

Another  vegetable  used  mostly  by  foreigners.  It  is  of 
the  easiest  culture,  growing  freely  on  any  soil  suitable  for 
Onions.  It  is  propagated  by  divisions  of  the  bulb,  called 
"  cloves,"  or  "  sets."  These  are  planted  in  early  spring,  in 
rows,  1  foot  apart,  and  from  4  to  6  inches  between  the 
plants  in  the  rows.  The  crop  matures  in  August,  when  it 
is  harvested  like  the  Onion.  It  is  always  sold  in  the  dry 
state. 


HORSERADISH.— (Nasturtium  Armoracia.) 

This  root  is  now  one  of  the  most  important  we  raise  in 
our  market  gardens,  upwards  of  two  hundred  acres  of  it 
being  grown  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  alone,  and  for 
the  last  half  dozen  years  there  has  been  nothing  grown 
from  which  we  have  realized  more  profit  as  a  second  crop. 
It  is  always  grown  as  a  second  crop  in  the  following 
manner : 

In  preparing  the  roots  for  market  during  winter,  all  the 
small  rootlets  are  broken  off  and  reserved  for  planting, 
leaving  nothing  but  the  main  root,  which  is  usually  from 


182  GARDENING   FOE   PEOFIT. 

12  to  15  inches  long,  and  weighing  about  three-quar- 
ters of  a  pound.  The  rootlets,  or  sets,  are  cut  into  pieces 
of  from  4  to  6  inches  in  length,  from  one-quarter  to 
one-half  in  diameter ;  these  are  tied  in  bundles  of  50  or  60, 
the  top  end  being  cut  square  and  the  bottom  end  slant- 
ing>  (fig-  48),  so  that  in  planting  there  will  be  no  danger 

of     setting    the    root 
down ;    for   al- 
Fig.  ^.-HORSERADISH  SET.  though  it  would  grow, 

if  planted  thus,  it  would  not  make  a  handsome  root. 
The  sets,  when  prepared,  are  stowed  away  in  boxes  of 
sand,  care  being  taken  that  a  sufficiency  of  sand  is  put  be- 
tween each  layer  of  bundles  to  prevent  their  heating. 
They  may  either  be  kept  in  the  boxes  in  a  cool  cellar,  or 
pitted  in  the  open  ground,  as  may  be  most  convenient. 
We  prefer  the  open  ground,  when  the  weather  will  per- 
mit. I  have  said  that  Horseradish  is  always  cultivated  as 
a  second  crop ;  with  us,  it  usually  succeeds  our  Early  Cab- 
bage, Cauliflower,  or  Beets.  Thus,  we  plant  Early  Cab- 
bage, lining  out  the  ground  with  the  one  foot  marker;  on  ev- 
ery alternate  line  are  first  planted  Cabbages,  which  stand, 
when  planted,  at  2  feet  between  the  rows,  and  16  or  18 
inches  between  the  plants.  We  always  finish  our  entire 
planting  before  we  put  in  the  Horseradish,  which  delays  it 
generally  to  about  1st  of  May ;  it  is  then  planted  between 
the  rows  of  Cabbage,  and  at  about  the  same  distance  as  the 
Cabbage  is  in  the  rows,  giving  about  12,000  or  13,000 
plants  per  acre.  The  planting  is  performed  by  making  a 
hole,  about  8  or  10  inches  deep,  with  a  long  planting  stick 
or  light  crowbar,  into  which  is  dropped  the  Horseradish  set, 
so  that  its  top  will  be  2  or  3  inches  under  the  surface ;  if 


VEGETABLES HORSERADISH.  ]  83 

the  sets  should  be  longer,  the  hole  should  be  made  pro- 
portionally deep,  so  that  the  top  of  the  set  be  not  nearer  the 
surface  than  2  or  3  inches ;  the  earth  is  pressed  in  along- 
side the  set,  so  as  to  fill  up  the  hole  as  in  ordinary  plant- 
ing.  The  main  reason  for  planting  the  set  so  far  under 
the  surface,  is,  to  delay  its  coming  up  until  the  crop  of 
Cabbage  be  cleared  off;  the  Horseradish  makes  its  main 
growth  in  the  fall,  so  that  it  is  no  injury  to  it  to  keep  it 
from  growing  until  July ;  in  fact  it  often  happens  th'at  by 
being  planted  too  near  the  surface,  or  too  early,  it  starts  to 
grow  so  as  to  interfere  with  the  Cabbage  crop ;  in  such 
cases  we  have  often  to  cut  the  tops  off  twice  by  the  hoe, 
before  the  Cabbage  is  ready,  but  this  does  not  injure  it  in 
the  least.  It  is  a  crop  with  which  there  is  very  little  labor 
during  summer ;  after  the  Cabbage  has  been  cut  off,  the 
Horseradish  is  allowed  to  grow  at  will,  and  as  it  quickly 
covers  the  ground,  one  good  deep  hoeing  is  all  that  is  re- 
quired after  digging  out  the  Cabbage  stumps.  When 
grown  between  Early  Beets,  the  culture  is,  in  all  respects, 
the  same,  only  it  is  more  profitable  to  have  the  rows  of 
Beets  only  18  inches  apart ;  this  of  course  throws  the 
Horseradish  nearer,  so  that  when  planted  between  Beets, 
it  should  be  planted  at  the  distance  of  2  feet  between  the 
plants  in  the  rows. 

As  it  is  an  entirely  hardy  plant,  it  is  one  of  the  last 
roots  we  dig  up  in  fall,  it  being  usually  delayed  until  De 
cember.  After  digging,  the  small  roots  are  usually  broken 
off  hi  the  field  and  stowed  away  in  boxes,  so  that  they 
can  be  trimmed  under  cover  at  leisure.  The  main  root  is 
then  put  away  in  the  pits,  as  recommended  in  Winter 
Preservation  of  Vegetables,  so  that  it  can  be  got  at  as  re 


184 


GARDENING   FOB    PROFIT. 


quired  during  winter.  The  preparation  for  market  is  very 
simple,  being  merely  to  cut  off  the  green  tops  and  small 
rootlets,  leaving  the  main  root  only,  as  represented,  in 
reduced  size,  by  fig.  49.  It  is  sold  by  weight,  and  is 
generally  washed,  which  is  done  suffici- 
ently by  rinsing  a  quantity  of  it  together 
in  a  large  tub. 

Our  manner  of  growing  Horseradish 
in  this  district,  we  claim  to  be  a  great 
advance  on  the  methods  practised  in 
general.  All  American  writers  on  the 
subject,  that  I  have  seen,  follow  in  the 
same  track  and  recommend  planting  the 
crowns.  This  would  not  only  destroy 
the  most  salable  part  of  the  root,  but 
when  planted  thus,  the  crowns  will  pro- 
duce only  a  sprawling  lot  of  rootlets,  that 
are  utterly  unsalable  in  the  market. 

They  also  tell  us,  that  "after  two 
seasons  growth  the  roots  will  be  fit  for  use."  Now, 
my  experience  in  growing  this  root,  has  most  emphati- 
cally told  me  that  after  two  seasons  growth  it  is  entirely 
unfit  for  use,  or  at  least  unfit  for  sale,  which  I  suppose  is 
about  the  same  thing.  A  few  years  ago,  one  of  my  neigh- 
bors had  a  patch  of  about  two  acres,  which  from  some 
cause  or  other  he  had  neglected  to  have  dug  until  late  in 
spring,  and  concluded,  as  it  was  then  rather  late  to  sell 
it,  he  would  leave  it  to  grow  over  until  next  season.  On 
commencing  to  dig  it  the  next  fall,  he  found  that  the  main 
root,  instead  of  being  solid,  as  it  is  at  one  year  old,  had  be- 
come partially  hollow,  and  of  a  woody,  stringy  nature, 


Fig.  49 HORSE- 
RADISH. 


VEGETABLES — HORSERADISH.  185 

and  when  offered  to  manufacturers,  it  was  refused  a\. 
any  price.  So  there  was  no  help  for  it,  but  dig  up  and 
throw  away  his  entirely  worthless  crop  at  a  most  unu- 
sual expense,  as  its  two  year's  growth  had  massed  the 
whole  soil  with  roots.  This  experiment  of  my  neighbor 
jras  a  loss  to  him  of  certainly  not  less  than  $1500. 

Grown  in  the  deep  rich  soil  of  our  market  gardens,  Horse- 
radish has  been  for  the  past  twenty  years  one  of  our  most 
profitable  second  crops,  and  as  an  encouragement  to  begin- 
ners, I  will  state  that  the  price  has,  in  this,  as  with  most  other 
vegetables,  steadily  advanced,  showing  that,  even  with  in- 
creased competition,  there  has  been  more  than  correspond- 
ingly increased  consumption.  The  price  for  five  years, 
ending  1854,  did  not  average  more  than  $70  per  ton ;  from 
that  time  to  1860  about  $120  per  ton ;  and  from  1860  to 
1866  fully  8200  per  ton.*  Of  course  the  prices  these  later 
years  were  inflated,  yet  still  the  proportion  is  higher  for 
this  than  for  any  other  vegetable.  Our  average  weight 
per  acre  is  five  tons,  or  a  little  over  three-quarters  of  a 
pound  per  root  for  12,000  planted.  It  has  always  been  a 
surprise  to  me  how  the  price  has  kept  up,  in  view  of  its 
easy  and  safe  culture.  But  there  is  one  thing  to  be  re- 
membered ;  these  heavy  crops  are  only  obtained  in  our 
gardens  that  are  in  the  highest  state  of  culture,  no  ordi 
nary  farm  land,  the  first  season,  manure  it  as  you  might, 
will  produce  such  results. 

*  Since  then  it  has  sold  lower ;  in  the  year  1873  it  probably  averaged  $150 
per  ton. 


186  GARDENING    FOE   PKOFIT. 

KOHLRABI,  OR  TURNIP-ROOTED  CABBAGE. 

(Braszica  oleracea.     Var.) 

In  general  appearance,  this  vegetable  more  resembles  a 
Ruta  Baga  Turnip  than  a  Cabbage,  though  it  is  more  gen- 
erally classed  with  the  latter.  It  is  best  cultivated  by 
sowing  the  seeds  in  rows  in  May,  June,  or  July,  accord- 
ing to  latitude.  In  this  district  we  sow  throughout  June, 
for  succession,  in  rows  18  inches  apart,  thinning  out  to 
about  8  or  10  inches  between  the  plants.  It  is  rather  dif- 
ficult to  transplant,  and  we  gen- 
erally prefer  to  sow  the  whole 
crop  from  seed,  and  thin  it  out 
where  it  stands ;  although  when 
the. weather  is  suitable,  the  thin- 
nings may  be  planted  at  the  dis- 
tances above  named.  It  is  sold 
in  our  markets  in  fall  in  the 
green  state,  in  bunches  contain- 
ing three  roots,  at  an  average 
Fig.  50.— KOHLRABI.  price  of  $1  per  dozen  bunches. 
As  it  is  not  in  general  use,  its  sale  is  limited.  The  vari- 
eties mostly  cultivated  are 

Early  White  Vienna,  is  greenish -white  outside; 
flesh  white  and  tender,  while  young.  The  best  condition 
for  use  is  when  the  root  is  from  3  to  4  inches  in  diameter; 
if  younger,  it  partakes  too  much  of  the  taste  of  the  Cab- 
bage, and  when  older  it  is  dry  and  stringy.  The  best 
market  sort. 

Early  Purple  Vienna,— Almost  identical  with  the 
preceding,  except  in  color,  which  is  a  blueish-purplo. 


VEGETABLES — LEEK.  187 

LEEK.— (Allium  P<rrrum.) 

The  Leek  is  another  vegetable  that  is  exclusively  grown 
as  a  second  crop.  The  seed  is  sown  in  April  in  rows  1 
foot  apart,  in  ground  well  prepared  as  recommended  for 
the  Celery  seed  bed ;  and  like  all  seed  beds,  it  is  kept 
scrupulously  clear  of  weeds.  The  best  time  of  planting 
is  the  same  as  that  for  all  our  second  crops ;  during  July, 
or  as  soon  as  the  first  or  spring  crop  can  be  cleared  off 
The  ground  can  hardly  be  too  rich  for  Leeks,  and  when 
time  will  allow,  we  always  contrive  to  get  in  a  slight  ad- 
ditional coat  of  manure  for  this  crop ;  the  spring  dressing, 
large  as  it  always  is,  hardly  being  sufficient.  The  ground 
being  well  prepared  by  plowing  and  harrowing,  lines  are 
marked  out  by  the  marker  at  1  foot  apart,  and  the  Leeks 
planted  on  each  line  at  5  or  6  inches  apart ;  we  do  not 
earth  up,  but  instead  plant  rather  deeply.  As  it  is  a  plant 
the  foliage  of  which  is  but  little  spreading,  great  care 
must  be  taken  that  weeds  are  never  allowed  to  get  ahead, 
for  if  they  do,  they  may  soon  entirely  envelope  the  crop 
to  its  total  destruction. 

It  is  a  vegetable  used  mostly  in  winter  and  spring,  and 
requires  to  be  dug  up,  in  this  vicinity,  in  November,  as 
otherwise  it  would  be  injured  by  our  severe  winters,  but 
hi  milder  sections  it  is  better  left  standing  where  it  grew ; 
it  is  quite  a  hardy  vegetable,  so  that  20  or  25  degrees  be 
low  freezing  will  not  injure  it.  It  is  preserved,  by  the 
market  gardeners  here,  in  trenches,  exactly  as  Celery  it 
preserved;  see  chapter  on  Celery.  Large  quantities  are 
sold  in  our  northern  markets,  at  fairly  remunerative  rates, 
although  from  the  nature  of  the  plant,  it  requires  perhaps 


188  GABDENING   FOB   PEOFIT. 

more  labor  than  any  other  vegetable  to  prepare  it 
for  market.  Figure  51  represents  the  Musselburgh 
Leek,  trimmed  previous  to  being 
bunched  up  for  market.  From 
six  to  eight  roots  are  tied  in 
each  bunch,  which  bring  in  the 
market,  upon  an  average,  through- 
out the  season,  about  75  cents 
per  dozen  bunches.  "We  plant 
about  85,000  plants  on  an  acre. 

The  two  varieties  used,  are 
known  as  Musselburgh  and  Lon- 
don Flag.  The  former  is  rath- 
er preferred  in  market,  being 
Fig.  SL-MUBSKLBUBOH  Usuall7  larger,  but  there  is  but 
little  choice  between  them. 


LETTUCE.— (Lactuca  sativa.') 

Perhaps  there  is  no  plant  of  the  garden  that  we  could  so 
ill  afford  to  dispense  with  as  Lettuce.  Its  cultivation  is  uni- 
versal, by  all  classes,  and  from  its  tractable  nature  and 
freedom  from  nearly  all  insects  and  diseases,  it  is  manage- 
able in  the  hands  of  every  one.  In  a  well  appointed  mar- 
ket garden,  it  is  the  most  important  vegetable  cultivated, 
engaging  our  attention  throughout  the  entire  year,  either 
in  the  open  ground  in  summer,  in  forcing  houses  or  hot- 
beds in  winter,  or  in  cold  frames  in  spring.  As  our  mode 
of  growing  it  under  glass  is  sufficiently  described  in  treat- 


VEGETABLES — LETTUCE.  189 

ing  of  pits,  frames,  etc.,  I  will  in  this  place  confine  myself 
to  our  system  of  cultivating  it  out  of  doors. 

For  our  main  early  crop,  that  is  sold  from  the  open 
ground  in  the  latter  part  of  May  or  first  of  June,  the  seed 
is  sown  the  previous  season  in  the  open  ground,  from  the 
15th  to  25th  of  September.  These  plants  are  usually 
large  enough  to  be  planted  in  frames  in  four  or  five  weeks 
later,  as  recommended  for  Cabbage  plants,  about  600  or 
700  being  planted  in  a  3x6  sash.  Occasionally  we  sow 
them  in  the  frame  in  fall,  and  do  not  transplant  them,  as  it 
saves  a  great  amount  of  labor,  but  they  are  not  quite  so 
good  plants  unless  transplanted,  as  it  is  difficult  to  sow 
them  so  that  they  come  up  at  the  regular  degree  of  thick- 
ness. The  winter  treatment  of  Lettuce  plants  is  similar 
in  all  respects  as  described  for  Cabbage  plants.  In  dry, 
well  sheltered  spots,  by  covering  up  with  leaves  or  litter, 
late  in  the  season,  say  middle  of  December,  Lettuce  plants 
may  be  saved  over  winter  without  glass  covering,  and  in 
southern  parts  of  the  country,  without  difficulty.  Like  most 
plants  that  we  term  hardy,  20  degrees  of  frost  will  not  in- 
jure them.  The  plants  for  setting  out  in  spring,  are  also 
sown  in  cold  frames  in  February,  and  in  hot-beds  in  March, 
and  by  careful  covering  up  at  night,  make  plants  to  set 
out  in  April ;  but  these  are  never  so  good  as  those  win- 
tered over,  and  it  can  only  be  recommended  where  cir 
cumstances  do  not  permit  the  other  method.  To  econo« 
mize,  not  only  in  space,  but  in  manure,  we  make  every  foot 
of  our  gardens  available,  so  that  when  we  come  to  plant 
out  our  Lettuce  in  March  or  April,  instead  of  planting  it 
m  a  bed  exclusively  for  itself,  it  is  planted  at  the  same 
time  and  between  the  rows  of  Early  Cabbage  or  Cauli- 


190  GARDENING   FOE  PROFIT. 

flower,  which  are  set  at  2  feet  apart.  The  Lettuce  matures 
its  crop  in  half  the  time  that  it  takes  for  the  Cabbage,  and 
is  consequently  all  cut  off  and  marketed  before  the  Cabbage 
is  half  grown.  If  it  were  not  so,  they  could  not  be  both 
grown  at  once  on  the  same  ground,  for,  when  the  Cabbage 
)rop  attains  its  growth,  it  requires  the  full  space  allowed 
—2  feet — for  its  development. 

This  early  crop  of  Lettuce  from  the  open  ground  is  con- 
sidered rather  an  auxiliary  than  a  main  one,  it  meets  with 
a  rapid  sale  at  an  average  of  $1.50  per  100  heads.  Rath- 
er a  low  price  it  may  be  thought ;  but  growers,  having 
only  ten  acres  of  ground,  not  unfrequently  plant  over 
100,000  heads.  It  is  planted  somewhat  closer  than  Cab- 
bage, usually  about  15,000  per  acre.  For  succession  crops 
of  Lettuce,  sowings  may  be  made  in  the  open  ground  as 
early  as  spring  opens,  until  July.  When  not  planted  be- 
tween Cabbage,  they  are  set  at  1  foot  apart  each  way. 
They  are  sold  to  some  extent  throughout  the  whole  sum- 
mer, but  the  great  weight  of  the  crop  is  sold  about  the 
first  week  of  June,  in  New  York  markets.  The  summer 
price  of  Lettuce  is  very  variable,  as  the  supply  is  often 
irregular — it  may  average  $2  per  100. 

The  passenger  in  the  horse  cars  going  from  Sixtieth 
street  to  Harlem,  on  New  York  Island,  any  day  from 
June  to  October,  may  see  little  patches  of  vegetation  of 
different  shades  of  green,  ranged  in  uniform  and  regular 
lines.  These  are  the  "  salad  patches  "  cultivated  mainly 
by  German  market  gardeners ;  they  range  from  two 
acres  down  to  a  quarter  of  an  acre  in  area.  It  seems  a 
wonder  that  the  cultivation  of  such  a  small  plot  of  earth 
should  give  an  able-bodied  man  a  living  j  but  a  living  it 


VEGETABLES — LETTUCE.  191 

does  give,  in  nearly  all  casss,  and  some  have  quite  a  respec- 
table surplus  for  a  "  rainy  day."  The  manner  of  growing 
the  Lettuce  for  the  first  or  early  crop,  is  the  same  as  that 
practised  by  the  market  gardeners  of  New  Jersey  or 
Long  Island,  namely,  using  plants  from  seed  sown  in  fall, 
that  have  been  -wintered  over  under  sashes,  and  planted 
out  as  early  as  the  ground  is  fit  to  work,  which  in  these 
warm  nooks  (in  most  cases  at  the  base  of  rocky  eleva- 
tions), is  often  as  early  as  the  first  week  in  March.  In 
some  particularly  favored  spots  the  Lettuce  is  planted  out 
in  the  first  week  of  October,  and  if  it  remains  unscathed 
during  winter,  conies  in  in  such  fine  condition  for  market 
in  May  as  to  well  repay  the  risk.  The  variety  used  for  this 
purpose  is  the  "  Brown  Dutch."  In  any  section  of  the  coun- 
try where  the  thermometer  never  falls  lower  than  10°  above 
zero,  Lettuce  sown  the  first  week  in  September  and  planted 
out  the  first  week  of  October  in  sheltered  spots  in  dry 
soils,  will  be  almost  certain  to  "  winter  over,"  and  give 
a  crop  in  spring  earlier  than  if  treated  by  any  other 
method.  The  wonder  is  that  it  is  not  more  extensively 
done  at  such  points  as  Charleston  and  Savannah,  where, 
so  far  as  I  can  judge,  there  is  nothing  to  hinder  it  from 
being  had  in  a  marketable  condition  at  any  time,  by 
ranging  the  sowings  and  plantings  from  the  middle  of 
February  to  the  middle  of  April.  To  return  to  the  New 
York  City  growers ;  the  varieties  grown  under  glass  and 
first  planted  out  in  spring,  are  usually  the  "  Butter  "  and 
"  Curled  Silesia."  As  soon  as  the  crop  is  planted  out, 
sowings  are  made  for  a  succession ;  this  time,  of  "  Curled 
India "  and  "  Butter,"  the  Silesia  being  unfitted  for  the 
•warm  weather  at  which  this  sowing  would  mature.  The 


192  GARDENING   FOR  PROFIT. 

crop  planted  out  in  March  matures  by  the  end  of  May  or 
first  of  June,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  cut  off,  the  ground 
is  plowed  or  dug  over,  and  the  plants  from  the 
March  sowings  are  set.  Another  sowing  is  made  for  plants 
to  succeed  these  again,  and  so  on  during  the  entire  season, 
the  rule  being  to  sow  seed  at  each  time  of  planting.  Four 
crops  of  Lettuce  are  usually  taken  from  June  to  October, 
or  nearly  a  crop  each  month.  The  plants  are  set  about 
a  foot  apart  each  way,  and  will  average  one  cent  per 
head,  so  that  the  four  crops  give  a  return  of  nearly  12,000 
per  acre.  This  seems  like  an  immense  return  for  an  acre, 
but  though  the  net  profits  are  respectable,  there  are  some 
serious  disadvantages  attending  the  cultivation.  Few  or 
none  of  these  men  are  owners  of  the  land,  nor  in  hardly 
any  instance  have  they  a  lease.  They  are  tenants  at  will, 
and  pay  a  yearly  rental  of,  in  some  instances,  |250  per 
acre.  Many  of  your  country  readers  may  think  that  an 
extra  cipher  has  been  added  to  the  amount,  but  they  must 
recollect  that  the  value  of  some  of  these  "  salad  patches," 
as  they  are  called,  is  $8,000  per  city  lot,  or  over  $100,000 
per  acre,  so  that  the  paltry  rental  of  $250  per  acre  hardly 
pays  the  interest  of  the  amount  of  taxes.  The  following 
figures  were  given  me  by  one  of  the  best  and  largest 
growers,  whose  patch  was  two  acres: 

Rent $400 

Manure 250 

Labor  of  3  men  for  6  months 750 

Horse  keep  and  incidentals 450 

$1,850 

Four  crops  Lettuce,  estimated  at $4,000 

Expenditures 1,850 

Annual  profits  for  2  acres $2,150 


VEGETABLES LETTUCE.  193 

A  pretty  good  profit,  but  deservedly  earned,  for  to 
attain  this  result,  the  grower  works  early  and  late.  It 
must  not  be  supposed  that  five  acres  could  be  cultivated 
by  one  man  with  the  above  profit.  The  loss  from  inade- 
quate hired  labor,  and  the  difficulties  of  selling  largo 
quantities  of  a  quickly  perishable  crop,  would  be  likely  to 
make  the  attempt  to  largely  increase  the  area  cultivated  a 
failure.  Besides,  Lettuce  is  only  used  to  a  limited  extent 
in  the  summer  and  fall  months,  and  if  grown  in  the  quan- 
tities that  it  is  in  spring,  could  not  be  sold,  yet  in  all 
large  cities  it  is  used  more  or  less  at  all  seasons,  and 
commands  for  limited  quantities  usually  a  higher  price 
than  in  spring,  the  season  of  its  greatest  consumption. 
No  doubt  the  system  of  our  New  York  City  Lettuce 
growers  might  be  successfully  and  pi-ofitably  followed  in 
the  neighborhood  of  many  other  cities  and  large  towns. 

The  varieties  of  Lettuce  used  for  the  different  purposes 
of  forwarding  and  forcing,  and  for  out-door  culture  in 
spring  and  summer,  are  of  more  importance  than  with  most 
vegetables.  I  once  lost  almost  my  entire  crop  of  Frame 
Lettuce,  from  planting  the  Curled  India,  a  summer  vari. 
ety,  instead  of  the  Curled  Silesia,  which  I  had  got  from  a 
well  meaning  but  not  very  learned  friend,  whose  hiero- 
glyphics had  got  transposed. 

Early  Curled  Simpson. — This  variety  we  place  at  the 
head  of  the  list,  believing  it  to  be  most  generally  useful 
for  all  purposes.  It  is  a  sub-variety  of  the  Curled  Silesia, 
rather  more  curled,  and  having  more  of  a  yellow  shade  of 
green ;  it  is  the  kind  which  is  planted  in  cold  frames  al- 
most exclusively,  and  is  also  largely  grown  as  an  early 
open  air  variety  between  the  Cabbage  crop.  This  vari 


194  GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 

ety,  properly  speaking,  does  not  head,  but  forms  a  compact 
close  mass  of  leaves.  This  condition  of  maturity  is  at- 
tained quicker  than  in  varieties  that  form  firm  heads, 
which  gives  it  the  great  desideratum — earliness. 

Curled  Silesia. — A  variety  extensively  sold  in  all  seed- 
stores,  but  we  believe  the  preceding  to  be  an  improvement 
upon  it.  The  Curled  Silesia  is  darker  green,  rather  less 
curled,  and  does  not  mature  quite  so  early  as  the  Simpson. 

Tennis  Ball. — A  favorite  forcing  variety,  and,  as  the 
name  indicates,  forming  a  hard  head ;  it  makes  few  outer 
leaves,  and  for  this  reason  can  be  planted  quite  closely 
under  glass,  from  6  to  7  inches  apart.  It  is  the  variety 
mainly  used  in  our  hot-beds  and  forcing  pits. 

Boston  Market,— This  is  an  improved  variety  of  the 
Tennis  Ball,  and  attains  a  larger  size.  It  grows  very  com- 
pact, is  beautifully  white  and  crisp,  and  is  one  of  the  best 
varieties  for  forcing. 

Drumhead  or  Malta. — This  is  one  of  the  best  summer 
varieties ;  heads  remarkably  large,  crisp,  tender,  and  of 
good  flavor. 

Black-seeded  Butter. — A  variety  similar  to  the  Tennis 
Ball,  but  larger  in  all  its  parts,  forming  heads  in  the  open 
ground  often  14  inches  in  diameter,  and  averaging  fully 
a  pound  in  weight.  We  use  it  extensively  as  an  early  out- 
door variety,  and  also  to  some  extent  in  our  cold  frames. 

Curled  India.— This  we  consider  to  be  by  far  the  best 
of  the  curled  sorts  for  hot  weather ;  it  forms  an  immense 
head,  often  16  inches  in  diameter,  and  is  solid  as  a  Cab- 
bage. 

Hardy  Green  Winter. — This,  next  to  the  Brown 
Dutch,  is  the  hardiest  of  all  varieties,  and  for  that  reason 


VEGETABLES MARJORAM.  195 

it  is  largely  grown ;  many  of  the  other  varieties  failing  in 
our  frames  in  winter,  while  this  comes  through  unscathed. 
It  is  not  much  used  for  forcing,  unless  when  we  are 
obliged  to  resort  to  it  by  having  lost  the  others.  When 
fully  matured,  it  forms  a  solid  head. 

Paris  Green  COS.— Although  the  Cos  varieties  of  Let 
tuce  are  not  so  suitable  for  our  climate,  yet  they  are  so 
much  superior  in  flavor,  that  they  are  occasionally  grown 
in  early  spring  and  fall  for  private  use,  though  I  have 
never  seen  them  in  our  markets.  In  shape,  they  differ  en- 
tirely from  the  other  varieties,  the  head  being  elongated 
and  of  a  conical  form,  5  or  6  inches  in  diameter,  and  8  or 
9  inches  in  hight.  The  present  variety  is  deep  green.  To 
be  had  in  perfection,  it  requires  to  be  tied  up  to  ensure 
blanching. 

Paris  White  COS. — Similar  to  the  above,  except  in  its 
outer  coloring,  which  is  yellowish-green.  This  variety  is 
said  to  have  been  cultivated  in  England  for  half  a  century, 
and  is  still  the  leading  market  sort,  millions  of  it  being 
grown  annually  in  the  market  gardens  of  London  alone. 


MARJORAM.— SWEET.— (Origanum  Marjwam.) 
A  well-known  aromatic  herb,  grown  to  a  considerabl 
extent  for  market  purposes ;  but  as  it  is  of  less  impor- 
tance than  Thyme,  which  is  grown  very  largely  for  sale, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  that  head  for  all  information  re- 
garding its  culture,  price,  etc.,  as  in  these  particulars  they 
are  entirely  identical. 


* 

196  GABDEIONG   FOR   PROFIT 

MELON.— MUSK.— (Cucumis  Melo.) 

The  Melon  is  not  cultivated  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York,  in  the  market  gardens  proper,  but  to  a  large  extent 
in  what  may  be  called  the  form-gardens  of  Long  Island 
and  New  Jersey.  There  it  is  grown  almost  in  the  same 
manner  as  they  grow  Corn,  planting  about  the  same  time, 
and  cultivating  in  the  same  manner,  and  often  with  but 
very  little  more  profit  per  acre  than  a  crop  of  Corn.  But 
the  Melon  is  a  fruit  easily  shipped,  and  when  grown  by 
the  forwarding  process  we  detail  for  Cucumbers  —  by 
planting  the  seeds  on  sods  under  glass  —  there  is  no  ques- 
tion but  that  it  can  be  made  equally  profitable  in  all  re- 
spects with  the  Cucumber,  when  grown  in  southern  lati- 
tudes for  our  northern  markets ;  although  like  many  other 
fruits  and  vegetables  so  easily  raised,  it  can  never  be  ex 
pected  to  be  profitable  if  used  in  the  district  in  which  it 
is  grown.  It  is  a  plant  not  at  all  particular  as  to  soil,  pro- 
vided it  be  not  wet  or  heavy ;  moderately  enriched  light 
soils  are  those  most  congenial  to  it. 

For  open  field  culture,  they  should  be  planted  in  hills  6 
feet  each  way,  incorporating  well  with  the  soil,  in  each 
hill,  a  couple  of  shovelfuls  of  thoroughly  rotted  manure. 
Sow  four  or  five  seeds  in  each  hill,*  and  cultivate  afterwards 
as  for  Corn.  Too  much  care  cannot  be  used  hi  saving  the 


*  The  term,  "  hill,"  when  used  here  and  elsewhere,  means  but  a  Blight 
elevation  of  the  surface,  aiid  is  used  only  as  a  convenient  term  to  denote 
where  the  seed  or  plant  is  to  be  planted.  But  from  the  signification  of  the 
word,  it  naturally  leads  the  novice  in  gardening  into  very  serious  error,  by  caus- 
ing him  to  think  he  must  literally  raise  a  hill  on  which  to  sow  or  plant,  and  in 
consequence  we  too  frequently  see  plants  elevated  on  little  knolls  a  foot  or  more 
above  the  general  surface,  from  which  the  rain  slides,  and  on  which  the  sun  beats 
to  their  utter  destruction. 


VEGETABLES — MELON.  197 

seeds  of  all  plants  of  this  class,  as  they  cross  very  readily ; 
for  this  reason,  when  seeds  are  to  be  saved  from  any  par- 
ticular variety,  care  must  be  taken  that  it  is  widely  re- 
moved from  any  other — not  less  than  100  yards.  If  seed 
is  not  wanted,  improper  crossing  will  make  no  difference 
to  the  fruit  that  season,  but  the  seed  —  the  product  of 
that  crop  —  will  be  affected  thereby,  and  its  impurity  de- 
veloped when  fruit  is  raised  from  it. 

From  the  facility  with  which  the  Melon  intermixes,  it 
follows  that  the  varieties  are  very  numerous,  and  for  the 
same  reason  it  is  difficult  to  retain  varieties  pure.  The  fol- 
lowing seem  to  be  the  most  fixed  in  character,  and  are 
the  sorts  in  general  use. 

Green  Citron • — Fruit  medium  size,  deeply  netted ;  in 
shape  almost  round,  varying  from  6  to  8  inches  in  diam- 
eter ;  flesh  green,  and  of  rich  delicious  flavor.  It  is  the 
leading  market  variety  at  the  North.  In  selecting  for 
seed  or  for  use,  the  most  netted  specimens  should  always 
"be  chosen,  as  they  are  always  vastly  superior  in  flavor  to 
those  with  smooth  skin.  The  growers  who  bring  their 
melons  to  the  New  York  market  are  very  careful  in  saving 
their  seed,  and  some  of  them  have  succeeded  in  producing 
very  large  and  fine  fruit  by  a  continuous  selection  of  the 
largest  and  best  for  their  stock  of  seed. 

Nutmeg.  —  Fruit,  nutmeg-shaped.  Skin  deep  green, 
finely  and  thickly  netted ;  flesh  greenish-yellow,  rich  and 
sugary,  in  flavor  second  to  none.  It  is  extensively  grown 
in  private  gardens,  but  is  thought  not  to  be  quite  so  pro- 
ductive as  the  Citron  for  market. 

White  Japan, — A  very  distinct  sort,  deeply  ribbed, 
glightly  netted  with  skin  of  a  yellowish  white ;  flesh  yel- 


198  GABDKN1NG   FOB  PBOFIT. 

low,  melting,  and  richly  flavored.  A  recently  introduced 
variety  of  great  merit. 

Skillman's  Netted. — Form  roundish  oval;  flesh  deep 
green,  sweet,  and  richly  perfumed.  A  variety  much 
esteemed  for  forcing,  as  it  is  closer  growing  than  most 
other  sorts,  and  also  one  of  the  earliest. 

Persian  Ispahan. — A  most  valuable  variety  for  the 
more  Southern  States,  although  entirely  too  late  for  this 
vicinity,  unless  forwarded  previously  under  glass  before 
planting  out.  It  is  oval,  of  the  largest  size,  averaging  a 
foot  in  length,  with  a  diameter  in  its  greatest  thickness 
of  8  inches.  Skin  smooth,  and  when  fully  ripe,  of  a  light 
yellow ;  flesh  yellowish  white,  having  a  rich  perfume  and 
delicious  flavor. 

Ward's  Nectar. — Among  the  varieties  for  the  amateur 
or  private  garden,  there  can  be  nothing  finer  than  this ; 
the  vine  is  probably  not  productive  enough  to  make  it  a 
profitable  market  sort.  It  is  a  green  fleshed  Melon,  ex- 
ceedingly sweet,  and  of  the  most  delicious  flavor.  The 
Cassaba  is  another  fine  Melon  for  the  family  garden.  It 
is  a  Persian  variety,  often  weighing  ten  or  twelve  pounds, 
and  of  fine  quality. 


MELON.— WATER.— (Citruttua  vulgaris.) 

Like  the  Musk  Melon,  when  cultivated  for  sale,  this  is 
essentially  a  plant  more  suited  for  the  farm  than  the  gar. 
den,  as  it  requires  even  more  space  in  which  to  grow.  The 
soil  best  suited  to  it  is  a  rather  sandy  loam ;  heavier  soils 
being  apt  to  induce  a  too  strong  growth  of  leaves.  It 


VEGETABLES — MELON.  199 

should  be  planted  about  the  same  time,  and  cultivated 
in  all  respects  the  same  as  the  Musk  Melon,  only  that  the 
hills  should  not  be  less  than  8  feet  apart.  It  is  grown  in 
immense  quantities  on  the  light  sandy  soils  of  New  Jer- 
sey, for  the  New  York  and  Philadelphia  markets,  in  which 
it  is  said  to  give  a  profit  of  from  $100  to  $200  per  acre. 
But  it  is  in  the  vicinity  of  our  southern  cities,  Charleston, 
Savannah,  etc.,  where  we  have  regular  steamboat  commu- 
nication, that  these  tropical  fruits  can  be  grown  at  a  high 
rate  of  profit  to  the  cultivator. 

Water  Melons,  grown  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston,  in 
July  of  this  year,  were  sold  by  the  thousand  in  New 
York,  to  the  consumer,  at  $1  each ;  while  those  grown  in 
southern  Jersey,  in  August  or  September,  were  a  drug  at 
15  cents  and  25  cents.  The  leading  varieties  are : 

Mountain  Sprout. — An  old  and  well-known  variety, 
and  still  the  leading  market  sort.  It  is  of  the  largest  size, 
longish  oval;  skin  dark  green,  marbled  with  lighter 
shades;  red  fleshed;  of  excellent  quality.  A  greater 
weight  can  be  raised  per  acre  of  this  than  of  any  other. 

Phinney's  Early. — A  new  variety  of  superior  quality; 
flesh  deep  red,  sweet  and  well  flavored.  It  is  very  early 
and  productive,  and  an  excellent  sort  for  market. 

Black  Spanish. — Fruit  medium,  almost  round;  skin 
dark  green ;  flesh  red ;  sweet  and  delicious.  It  is  a  great 
favorite  in  private  gardens. 

Ice  Cream. — A  round  white-fleshed  variety  of  good 
flavor,  but  not  equal  to  the  red-fleshed.  It  matures  10 
days  earlier,  however,  and  on  that  account  is  worth  culti- 
vating in  the  Northern  or  Eastern  States,  where  the  sea- 
son for  the  finer  sorts  is  too  short. 


200  GARDENING  FOB  PEOFIT. 

Orange. — So  called  from  its  peculiarity  of  the  flesh 
separating  from  the  rind  when  fully  ripe ;  it  is  below  me- 
dium size ;  flesh  red ;  sugary,  but  coarse  grained ;  inferior 
to  many  others. 

Citron  Water  Melon.  —  Outwardly  a  very  handsome 
fruit  of  small  size,  but  not  worth  growing  as  a  ripened 
fruit.  It  is  used  to  some  extent  for  making  sweetmeats, 
for  which  purpose  it  is  alone  cultivated. 


MINT. — (Mentka  viridti.) 

A  hardy  perennial  plant,  found  growing  in  abundance 
along  the  roadsides  in  many  places.  It  is  often  grown  in  gar- 
dens, however,  and  is  used  in  soups,  sauces,  salads,  etc.,  very 
generally.  It  is  of  the  easiest  culture.  It  is  increased  by 
divisions  of  the  root,  and  planted  at  distances  of  a  foot 
apart ;  it  quickly  forms  a  mass,  which  may  be  cut  from 
'for  many  years  without  renewal!  It  is  grown  to  a  con 
siderable  extent  in  hot-beds  and  forcing  pits,  in  the  same 
way  as  Lettuce,  and  sold  in  the  markets  in  early  spring. 
Its  treatment  there  is  very  simple,  being  merely  to  lift 
up  the  roots  in  solid  mass,  placing  them  on  the  3  or  4 
inches  of  earth  in  the  hot-bed  or  bench  of  the  forcing 
house,  and  water  freely  as  soon  as  it  begins  to  grow 
The  sale  is  not  large,  but  growers  realize  about  $15  pe 
gash,  (3x6),  for  what  is  thus  grown  throughout  winter 
and  spring. 


VEGETABLES MARTYNTA. 

MARTYNIA.— (Martynia  proboscidea.} 


201 


A  vegetable  used  to  a  considerable  extent'  for  pickling, 
the  pods  or  fruit  of  which  are  produced  in  the  greatest 


Fig.     52.— MAKTYNIA. 

abundance.  It  is  cultivated  by  sowing  in  open  ground, 
in  April  or  May,  and  transplanting  to  2  feet  each  way,  in 
June ;  it  is  fit  for  use  in  July  and  August. 


202  GABDENING  FOB  PBOFTT. 

MTISTARD.— (Sinapis  alba,  and  8.  nigra.) 

Is  used  for  culinary  purposes  as  a  salad,  usually  in  con- 
jun:tion  \dth  Cress.  For  this  purpose  it  may  be  had 
throughout  the  entire  season,  by  sowing  during  winter  in 
hot-beds  or  forcing  pits,  and,  on  the  opening  of  spring,  in 
the  open  ground,  where,  by  sowing  at  intervals  of  two  or 
three  weeks,  it  may  be  had  in  proper  condition  for  use 
throughout  the  year.  Sow  thickly  in  rows,  1  foot  apart, 
on  any  soil. 

White  Mustard. — This  is  the  variety  mostly  used  as  a 
salad;  the  seeds  are  bright  yellow,  and  are  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  the  mustard  of  commerce. 

Black  Mustard. — This  variety  is  hardly  distinguishable 
from  the  preceding,  except  in  the  color  of  its  seeds,  which 
are  dark-brown ;  they  are  used  for  medicinal  purposes,  and 
also  in  manufacture  of  Mustard. 


MUSHROOM. — (Agaricus  campestris.) 

I  know  of  no  vegetable  which  has  such  a  novelty  and 
interest  to  the  beginner,  as  the  cultivation  of  the  Mush- 
room. In  all  other  vegetables  he  sees  something  tangible 
to  start  with — seeds,  plants,  or  roots ;  but  here,  we  may  al- 
most say  he  sees  neither,  for  the  seeds  cannot  be  seen  with 
the  naked  eye,  and  it  requires  an  unusual  effort  of  the  im- 
agination, to  believe  the  white  moldy  subtance  we  call 
spawn,  to  be  either  plants  or  roots.  There  are  so  many 
different  systems  of  growing  the  Mushroom,  detailed  in 
most  of  the  works  on  gardening,  that  the  reader  is  too 


VEGETABLES MUSHROOM.  203 

often  bewildered  in  choosing  a  guide.  In  this,  I  will  only 
detail  one  method,  which  I  have  practised  for  many  years 
with  unfailing  success.  To  make  the  cultivation  of  the 
Mushroom  profitable,  it  must  be  done  in  a  building,  either 
specially  erected  for  the  purpose,  or  in  some  shed,  stable, 
or  cellar,  already  on  the  premises,  and  which  can  be  con- 
verted to  that  use.  The  most  suitable  place,  in  establish- 
ments having  green-houses,  vineries,  or  forcing  pits,  are 
the  back  sheds,  usually  erected  over  the  boiler  pits,  such 
as  are  shown  in  the  plans  of 
forcing  pits  in  this  work. 
But  such  an  erection  is  not 
indispensable ;  any  place, 
where  a  temperature  from 
40°  to  60°  can  be  sustained 
during  winter,  will  suit. 

We  have  also  grown  them 
under    the    stages    of   our 
green-houses,  but  our  "  mod- 
ern improvements"  of  late 
Fig.  53.— MUSHROOM.  years,  allow  us  no  longer 

room  for  the  operation  there.  The  time  of  beginning 
may  be  any  time  during  winter ;  we  have  usually  begun 
our  preparations  about  December  1st,  which  brought  our 
beds  into  bearing  about  February  1st,  at  the  season  that 
Mushrooms  begin  to  be  most  wanted. 

Our  method  of  growing  Mushrooms  is  very  simple,  and 
can  be  accomplished  to  a  certainty  by  any  one  conforming 
to  the  following  directions.  Let  fresh  horse  droppings  be 
procured  from  the  stables  each  day,  in  quantity  not  less, 
perhaps,  than  a  good  barrow  load ;  to  every  barrow  load 


204  GAEDENTNQ  FOE  PEOF1T. 

of  droppings  add  about  the  same  weight  of  fresh  loam, 
from  a  pasture  or  sod  land,  or  soil  of  any  kind,  in  fact,  that 
has  not  been  manured ;  (the  danger  of  old  manured  soil 
being,  that  it  may  contain  spurious  fungi).  Let  the 
droppings  and  soil  be  mixed  together,  day  by  day,  as  the 
droppings  can  be  procured;  if  they  can  be  had  all  at 
once,  in  quantity  enough,  so  much  the  better.  Let  the 
heap  be  turned  every  day,  so  that  it  is  not  allowed  to  heat 
violently,  until  you  have  got  quantity  enough  to  form  the 
bed  of  the  dimensions  required.  Be  careful  that  your 
heap  is  under  cover,  so  that  it  cannot  possibly  get  wet. 

The  most  convenient  size  for  a  bed  is  from  4  to  5  feet  in 
width,  and  if  the  Mushrooms  are  wanted  in  quantity,  it 
is  the  plan  most  economical  of  space  to  start  on  the  floor 
of  the  house  with  the  first  bed,  the  additional  ones  to  be 
formed  of  shelving,  4  feet  wide  by  10  inches  deep,  raised 
one  above  another,  something  like  the  berths  in  a  steam- 
boat. Now,  from  the  prepared  heap  of  droppings  and 
soil,  spread  over  the  bed  a  thin  layer ;  pound  this  firmly 
down  with  a  brick ;  then  another  layer,  pounded  down  as 
before,  and  so  on  until  it  reaches  a  depth  of  8  inches.  Be 
careful  that  it  be  no  more  nor  less  than  8  inches ;  more 
would  cause  the  mass  to  heat  too  violently,  while  less, 
is  hardly  enough.  Into  this  bed  plunge  a  thermometer ; 
in  a  day  or  two  the  bed  will  heat  so  that  it  will  run  up  to 
100  or  over,  and  as  soon  as  it  declines  to  95  or  90,  take  a 
dibber  or  sharp  stick  and  make  holes  all  over  the  bed,  at 
the  distance  of  about  12  inches  each  way,  to  about  half 
the  depth  of  the  bed ;  into  each  hole  put  a  piece  of  spawn 
of  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg  or  so,  covering  up  the  hole  again 
with  the  compost,  so  that  it  will  present  the  same  level  firm 


VEGETABLES — MUSHROOM.  205 

surface  as  before  the  spawn  was  put  in.  Let  it  remain  in  this 
condition  for  about  10  or  12  days,  by  which  time  the  spawn 
will  have  "run"  through  the  whole  bed.  Now  spread 
evenly  over  the  surface  of  the  bed  nearly  2  inches  of  fresh 
loam,  firm  it  down  moderately  with  the  back  of  a  spade, 
and  cover  up  the  bed  with  3  or  4  inches  of  hay  or  straw ; 
this  completes  the  whole  operation  of  "  planting  the  crop." 
Nothing  now  remains  to  be  done,  but  attention  to  the 
proper  degrees  of  heat  and  moisture. 

If  you  can  control  the  means  of  heating,  so  that  the 
place  can  be  kept  uniformly  at  a  temperature  of  60°,  all 
the  better,  but  if  not,  it  may  range  from  40°  to  60° ;  it 
should  never  get  much  below  40°,  else  the  bed  will  be- 
come cold  too  quickly,  and  delay  the  crop  until  too  late  in 
the  season  to  be  profitable.  Unless  the  air  of  the  house 
has  been  unusually  dry,  the  Mushrooms  will  appear  before 
any  water  is  requii-ed ;  but  examination  should  be  made, 
and  if  the  surface  of  the  bed  appears  dry,  a  gentle  sprink- 
ling of  water,  heated  to  about  100°,  must  be  given. 

With  this  treatment,  beginning  in  December,  our  first 
crop  is  ready  for  use  in  February,  and  as  the  Mushrooms 
do  not  come  up  all  at  once,  it  takes  about  three  weeks  to 
gather  the  crop.  After  this,  a  slight  dressing  of  fresh 
soil,  of  about  half  an  inch  hi  depth,  is  spread  over  the  bed, 
again  beat  down  with  the  spade ;  this,  gently  watered  with 
tepid  water  when  dry,  and  a  second  crop  of  Mushrooms, 
(often  better  than  the  first),  is  gathered  in  March. 

To  show  how  a  simple  oversight  in  our  operations  may 
defeat  the  whole  work,  I  will  state,  that  in  my  first  attempt 
at  Mushroom  growing,  I  labored  for  two  years  without  be- 
ing able  to  produce  a  single  Mushroom.  In  my  apprentice 


206  GARDENING  FOB   PROFIT. 

days,  we  had  known  no  such  word  as  fail,  in  so  simple  a 
matter;  but  here,  on  my  first  attempt,  on  my  own  re- 
sponsibility, I  was  met  by  total  failure.  Every  authority 
was  consulted,  all  the  various  methods  tried — but  with  no 
better  success.  In  all  such  cases  something  must  be 
blamed,  and  I  pronounced  the  spawn  as  worthless ;  but 
my  good  natured  employer  quietly  suggested  that  this 
could  not  well  be,  as  a  friend  of  his  had  abundant  crops 
growing  from  spawn  received  from  the  same  source. 
Driven  into  a  corner  by  this  information,  I  made  another 
exploration  of  my  "authorities,"  and  was  fortunate  to 
find  in  one  of  them  a  single  sentence  that  at  once  showed 
where  my  error  had  been,  it  was  to  "  be  careful  to  delay 
the  covering  with  mould,  until  ten  or  twelve  days  after  the 
bed  had  been  spawned."  Now,  in  all  the  different  meth- 
ods I  had  tried,  I  had  in  each  invariably  put  in  the  spawn, 
and  at  once  put  on  the  2-inch  covering  of  soil,  which  had 
the  effect  to  shut  down  the  steam,  thereby  raising  the  tem- 
perature in  the  bed  to  a  degree  to  destroy  the  spawn,  and 
consequently  to  defeat  my  whole  operations.  My  excuse 
for  this  digression  is  to  show  the  importance  of  what 
might  otherwise  be  thought  unnecessary  details. 

Although  spawn  is  procurable  at  cheap  rates  in  all  hor- 
ticultural stores,  yet  to  such  as  desire  to  make  it  them- 
selves, I  give  the  following  brief  directions.  Take  equal 
portions  of  horse  droppings,  cow  dung  and  fresh  loam, 
mix  the  whole  thoroughly  together,  as  you  would  make 
mortar ;  then  form  it  into  cakes  about  the  size  of  large 
bricks,  place  these  on  edge,  under  cover,  until  they  become 
half  dry ;  then  insert  into  each  a  piece  of  spawn  half  an 
inch  or  so  square,  let  the  bricks  remain  until  they  are  quite 


VEGETABLES — MUSHBOOM.  207 

dry ;  then  spread  about  8  inches  of  horse  dung  over  the 
floor  of  the  shed,  on  which  build  the  bricks  in  a  pile  3  feet 
wide  by  3  feet  high,  keeping  the  side  in  which  the  spawn 
has  been  put  uppermost ;  then  cover  them  over  with  suffici- 
ent stable  manure,  so  as  to  give  a  gentle  heat  through 
the  whole.  In  two  or  three  weeks  the  spawn  will  have 
spread  itself  through  the  whole  mass  of  each  brick ;  they 
are  then  removed  to  a  dry  place,  and  will  retain  their  vital 
properties  for  many  years. 

There  is  not  the  least  question  that  the  cultivation  of 
Mushrooms  for  market,  forced  in  the  manner  detailed, 
will  give  a  larger  profit  for  the  labor  and  capital  invested 
than  that  from  any  other  vegetable.  The  supply  has  never 
yet  been  half  enough,  and  sellers  have  had  prices  almost 
pretty  much  as  they  pleased.  I  know  of  no  house  that 
has  been  especially  erected  for  the  purpose,  and  the  mar- 
kets have  been  supplied  from  beds  formed  in  out-of-the- 
way  corners,  giving  only  an  uncertain  and  irregular  sup- 
ply, very  discouraging  to  buyers.  I  have  no  doubt  what- 
ever that  Mushroom  houses,  roughly  built,  but  exclusively 
devoted  for  that  purpose,  would,  in  the  vicinity  of  any  of 
our  large  cities,  pay  a  profit  of  50  per  cent,  per  annum  on 
cost  of  construction. 


208  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

NASTURTIUM.— INDIAN  CRESS.— (Tropceolum  majus.) 
A  plant  at  once  highly  ornamental  and  useful.  The 
shoots  and  flower-buds  are  sometimes  used  as  a  salad,  but 
it  is  mainly  grown  for  its  seeds,  which  are  pickled  in  vin- 
egar, and  used  as  a  substitute  for  capers.  It  can  be  grown 
in  almost  any  soil  or  situation,  ent  wining  itself  around 
strings,  brush,  or  trellis  work,  that  may  be  given  for  its  sup 
port.  It  may  be  sown  thinly  in  drills,  an  inch  or  so  deep, 
in  April  or  May.  There  are  many  beautiful  varieties,  but 
the  following  are  only  those  in  use  in  our  vegetable  gar- 
dens. 

Tall  Nasturtium, — Attains  a  hight  of  8  or  9  feet,  the 
flowers  are  yellow,  blotched  with  crimson.  This  variety 
makes  an  excellent  screen  or  covering  for  unsightly  places 
in  the  garden. 

Dwarf  Nasturtium. — This,  in  growth,  is  quite  distinct 
from  the  preceding,  never  attaining  more  than  3  feet ;  it 
should  be  sown  thinly  in  drills,  3  feet  wide,  and  staked  up 
with  brush  like  Peas.  Its  flowers  are  very  handsome, 
bright  yellow,  blotched  with  scarlet. 


OKRA  OR  GUMBO.— (Abelmoschus  esculentus.) 

This  vegetable  is  extensively  grown  in  the  Southern 
States;  its  long  pods,  when  young,  are  used  in  soups, 
stews,  etc.,  and  are  believed  to  be  very  nutritious.  It  is 
of  the  easiest  culture,  and  grows  freely,  bearing  abun- 
dantly on  any  ordinary  garden  soil.  It  is  sown  at  the 
usual  time  of  all  tender  vegetables  —  in  this  district  in 


VEGETABLES — OKRA. 


May — in  drills  2  inches  deep,  and  from  18  to  24  inches 
apart  in  the  rows,  for  the  dwarf  sorts,  for  the  tall  nearly 
double  that  width.  There  are  only  two  sorts  commonly 


Fig.  54.— OKKA,   OR  GUMBO. 

grown,  "  dwarf"  and  "  tall ;"  the  former  being  the  most 
productive. 


210  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

ONION.— (Allium  Cepa.) 

Next  to  Cabbages,  perhaps,  Onions  are  the  most  prof- 
itable crop  of  our  market  gardens,  in  which  they  are 
grown  from  sets,  and  nearly  all  sold  in  bunches  in  the  green 
or  unripened  state.  Grown  from  seed,  they  are  cultivat- 
ed almost  exclusively  by  farmers  or  men  who  devote  farm 
land  to  this  purpose  alone;  thus  grown,  they  are  all  sold 
in  the  dry  state,  and  form  an  important  article  of  com- 
merce. 

I  will  first  describe  the  manner  of  cultivating  in  our 
market  gardens.  To  produce  the  "  sets,"  or  small  bulbs, 
that  are  planted  to  give  early  Onions  to  be  sold  green,  a 
poor  piece  of  ground  is  chosen  as  early  as  it  is  fit  to  work 
in  spring.  It  is  brought  into  a  thorough  state  of-  pulver- 
ization by  plowing,  harrowing,  and  raking,  so  that  the 
surface  is  level  and  free  from  stones;  a  line  is  then 
stretched,  and  lines  are  marked  out  by  the  9-inch  side  of 
the  marker,  in  these  the  seed  is  sown  in  beds  of  6  rows 
wide,  rubbing  out  every  7th  row  marked,  so  that  it  forms 
an  alley  18  inches  wide.  For  this  purpose  the  seed  i? 
sown  quite  thickly,  and  on  poor  soil,  so  as  to  produce  th«, 
"  sets "  as  small  as  possible,  for  we  find  that  whenever 
they  much  exceed  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  they  will  run 
to  seed.  It  matters  not  how  small  the  bulb  is ;  even  when 
of  the  size  of  the  smallest  Peas,  they  make  an  equally  good 
if  not  a  better  crop,  than  if  of  a  larger  size.  The  sets  are 
taken  up  in  August,  well  dried,  placed  with  the  chaff 
among  them  in  a  loft  of  stable  or  barn,  about  4  inches 
deep,  covered  up  by  six  inches  of  hay  on  the  approach  of 
hard  frost,  and  left  thus  until  wanted  for  setting  out  in 
spring.  This  is  the  usual  method  of  raising  Onion  sets. 


VEGETABLES ONION.  211 

Mr.  Wm.  C.  Pelham,  of  Maysville,  Ky.,  wrote  me  in 
1871,  requesting  me  to  try  his  method  of  raising  Onion 
sets  and  make  public  the  result  of  the  trial  if  satisfactory. 

Mr.  Pelham's  method  is  to  select  a  level  and  dry  piece 
of  ground.  Beds  are  formed  two  feet  wide,  with  a  path 
of  one  foot  between.  The  beds  are  excavated  to  the 
depth  of  two  inches — or,  in  other  words,  the  path  or  alley 
between  is  two  inches  higher  than  the  beds;  the  bottom 
of  the  beds  is  nicely  smoothed  with  the  back  of  a  spade, 
so  as  to  present  a  level  surface  whereon  to  sow  the  seed. 
The  seed  is  sown  so  that  there  will  be  fifteen  or  twenty 
seeds  to  the  square  inch.  If  the  surface  of  the  beds  was 
sprinkled  with  plaster  or  white  sand,  the  seeds,  which 
are  black,  could  be  sown  more  evenly.  After  sowing,  the 
seeds  are  covered  with  two  inches  of  pure  clean  sand, 
which  brings  the  beds  and  paths  to  the  same  level.  The 
whole  is  then  rolled  with  a  light  roller  or  patted  down 
with  a  spade.  The  advantages  of  this  plan  are,  that  there 
being  no  seeds  of  weeds  in  the  sand,  the  labor  of  weeding 
is  entirely  saved,  and  the  sets  when  matured  are  far  more 
easily  harvested  from  the  clean,  soft  sand  than  from  the 
hard-baked  surface  which  most  soils  present  after  a  sea- 
son's rains  and  sun,  on  a  surface  that  can  not  be  stirred. 

I  consider  this  plan  of  raising  Onion  sets  most  valuable 
to  the  market  gardener,  as  a  very  little  space  devoted  to 
this  purpose  will  save  him  a  heavy  expense  in  the  pur- 
chasing of  Onion  sets.  Few  market  gardeners  can  grow 
them  in  the  ordinary  manner,  unless  at  a  cost  greater  than 
they  can  be  purchased  for  from  those  who  make  a  busi- 
ness of  growing  them.  But  the  price  paid  for  sets  the 
past  six  or  eight  years  has  been  so  high  that  many  market 


212  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

gardeners  have  abandoned  growing  Onions  from  them. 
For  Onion  sets  the  best  soil  of  the  garden  is  chosen,  ma- 
nured with  short,  well  rotted  manure,  plowed  in  'at  the 
rate  of  75  tons  to  the  acre ;  when  only  concentrated  ma- 
nures can  be  obtained,  crushed  bone  is  preferable  to  gu 
ano.  The  ground  is  further  deeply  harrowed ;  the  har 
row  turned  on  its  back,  and  the  soil  still  further  broken  up 
with  the  short  teeth,  and  if  any  inequalities  are  left,  they 
are  leveled  and  smoothed  with  the  rake.  The  line  is  now 
stretched  along  the  bed,  and  the  9-inch  marker  again 
makes  the  drills,  6  in  each  bed,  with  one  rubbed  out  for 
an  alley.  The  sets  are  now  planted  in  the  drills,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  3  inches  apart,  pressing  each  bulb  down  firm- 
ly, so  that  it  will  keep  right  side  up;  the  row  is  .then 
closed  in  by  the  feet  or  a  rake,  so  that  the  set  is  entirely 
covered  up.  The  ground  is  then  rolled  over,  so  as  to  ren- 
der it  still  more  compact  around  the  bulbs ;  as  soon  as  the 
lines  can  be  traced,  by  the  Onions  starting  to  grow,  the 
hoe  is  applied  between  the  rows,  and  the  soil  broken  be- 
tween the  plants  by  the  fingers,  where  the  hoe  cannot  reach, 
so  as  to  destroy  the  germ  of  the  weeds.  If  attended  to  in 
time,  twice  going  over  with  hoeing  and  weeding  is  suf- 
ficient until  the  crop  is  fit  for  market,  which  it  begins  to  be 
about  the  first  week  in  June,  and  is  usually  all  gathered 
by  the  first  week  in  July,  so  as  to  give  us  time  for  second 
crops. 

When  we  first  begin  to  send  them  to  market,  they  are 
usually  not  more  than  half  grown,  and  are  washed  and  tied 
in  bunches  containing  from  nine  to  twelve  Onions ;  later, 
when  full  grown,  from  six  to  seven.  This  crop  is  one  re- 
quiring considerable  labor  and  expense,  to  get  it  in  shape 


VEGETABLES ONIOK.  213 

to  sell,  taking  cost  of  sets,  labor,  manure,  etc.,  probably 
not  less  than  $400  per  acre,  for  the  past  five  years ;  but 
the  receipts  liave  been  correspondingly  high,  averaging  in 
that  time  quite  $800  per  acre.  Onions,  planted  from  sets, 
rarely  fail  to  give  a  crop  on  any  kind  of  soil,  provided  it 
Las  been  well  manured ;  and  although  they  are  sold  by 
the  market  gardeners  in  the  green  state,  they  are  equally 
good,  ripened  and  dried,  when  raised  from  sets,  as  from 
seed.  The  quantity  of  sets  required  per  acre,  is  from  six 
to  ten  bushels  according  to  size ;  at  present  prices,  they 
cost  $10  per  bushel 

The  method  of  raising  Onions  from  seed  as  a  farm  or 
garden  crop,  differs  but  little  from  that  we  adopt  for  sets, 
except  that  they  are  sown  generally  about  1  foot  apart  in 
the  rows,  and  manured  at  the  rate  of  only  25  tons  to  the 
acre  instead  of  75.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the 
ground  for  Onions,  grown  from  seed,  be  as  nearly  level  aa 
possible,  so  that  the  seed  is  not  washed  away  by  rains. 
It  also  saves  considerable  labor  in  hoeing,  when  it  can  be 
got  free  from  stones  and  seeds  of  weeds. 

The  seed  of  Onions,  when  sown  as  a  field  crop,  is  most- 
ly sown  by  a  machine  used  solely  for  that  purpose ;  this 
machine  sows  two  rows  at  once,  making  the  drill  and  sow- 
ing as  it  goes  along.  The  operation  of  sowing  is  begun 
as  soon  as  the  ground  is  fit  to  work  in  spring,  as  we  al- 
ways find,  other  conditions  being  the  same,  that  those  ear- 
liest sown  produce  the  heaviest  crop.  The  covering  of 
the  seed  is  best  done  by  rolling  the  ground  with  a  light 
roller,  drawing  it  lengthwise  of  the  lines.  Rolling  is  also  of 
great  advantage  in  smoothing  the  surface,  so  that  hoeing, 
particularly  with  the  scuffle  hoe,  is  much  more  easily  per- 


214  GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

formed.  The  quantity  of  seed  per  acre,  is  about  4  Ibs., 
when  sown  by  the  machine,  that  is  if  the  seed  is  new  and 
fresh ;  and  none  else  should  ever  be  used,  as  Onion  seed, 
of  more  than  one  year  old,  is  not  apt  to  produce  a  vigorous 
crop.  The  seed  is  quickly  tested  by  placing  a  little  of  it 
in  damp  cotton  or  moss,  in  a  moderately  warm  room ;  if 
fresh,  it  will  sprout  in  three  or  four  days.  The  early  at- 
tention to  weeding  or  hoeing  is,  if  possible,  of  more  import- 
ance when  the  crop  is  raised  from  seed,  than  when  from 
sets  j  for  the  growth  being  slower  and  feebler  from  seeds, 
if  weeds  once  get  ahead,  the  crop  may  be  ruined.  Here, 
as  well  as  in  all  other  garden  operations,  one  man  will  hoe 
over  more  ground,  before  the  weeds  start  to  grow,  than 
ten  men  will,  after  the  weeds  get  to  be  six  inches  high. 
Here  then,  a  "  stitch  in  time,"  literally,  "  saves  nine." 

The  crop  is  always  harvested  in  August,  the  bulbs  be- 
ing lifted  by  slightly  digging  under  the  row  with  a  light 
digging  fork.  The  Onions  are  left  on  the  ground,  usually 
from  two  to  three  weeks,  according  to  the  condition  of 
the  weather,  to  get  thoroughly  dried,  and  are  then  placed 
in  barrels,  or  about  6  or  8  inches  deep  upon  shelving  made 
for  the  purpose,  in  a  barn  or  cellar;  any  place  that  ia 
dry,  without  being  too  warm,  being  most  suitable. 
Onions  will  only  endure  a  certain  amount  of  frost  without 
injury,  so  that  it  is  always  safer  to  cover  them  up  from  in- 
tense freezing  as  cold  weather  approaches.  The  price  of 
Onions  is  variable  in  the  extreme ;  those  first  sent  to  mar- 
ket often  selling  for  $5  and  $6  per  barrel,  while  in  a  week 
later  the  same  quality  is  hardly  salable  at  $1.50  per  bar- 
rel. Again,  in  spring,  when  successfully  wintered  over, 
pome  careful  grower  often  realizes  the  first  named  price. 


VEGETABLES — ONION.  215 

It  may  be  given,  as  a  fair  average,  that  $1.50  per  barrel  is 
the  price  realized  by  the  grower.  The  product  is  about 
150  barrels  per  acre,  and  the  cost  of  raising  about  $125 ; 
leaving  a  profit  of  $100  per  acre. 

The  varieties  of  Onion  are  quite  numerous,  but,  as  in 
all  other  leading  vegetables,  cultivators  confine  them- 
selves to  only  a  few  well  established  sorts. 

Yellow  Dutch,  OF  Strasbnrg. — This  is  the  variety  that 
is  grown  almost  exclusively  when  the  crop  is  planted  from. 
"sets,"  and  sold  in  the  green  state.  Not  that  it  is  any 
more  productive,  nor  does  it  sell  quite  so  well  as  the  White 
or  Silver  Skinned,  but  from  the  fact  of  the  "  sets  "  keep- 
ing better  in  winter,  it  is  the  sort  we  find  safest  to  use. 

White  Portugal,  or  Silver  Skinned,— A  very  fine  sort, 

delicate  flavor,  much  grown  for  private  use ;  it  requires 
more  care  in  keeping  in  win- 
ter than  any  other,  however, 
and  is  hardly  ever  used  as 
a  market    sort,   unless  for 
pickling,  for  which  it  is  sold 
in   large   quantities.       The 
bulb  is  quite  flat ;  the  outer 
skin,  silvery  white.      It  is 
entirely   distinct    from   the 
Fig.  55. — SILVER-SKINXED  ONIOX.    «  Silver  Skin  "  of  the  East- 
ern States,  which  is  a  brownish-yellow  skinned  vaiiety,  bet- 
ter known  as  Old  Yellow,  or  Common  Yellow. 

Yellow  Danvers, — This  variety  has  not  been  sufficiently 
tested  as  a  market  sort,  to  be  sold  green,  but  from  what  I 
have  seen  of  it,  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  may  yet  super- 


216 


GARDENING   FOR    PEOFIT. 


cede  the  Strasburg  for  that  purpose.  It  certainly  is  far 
more  productive,  but  the  question,  whether  it  will  keep  as 
Avell  in  sets,  during  winter,  has  not  been  sufficiently  test- 


Fig.  56. — YELLOW  DAN- 
VEBS   ONION. 


Fig.  57. — WETHERSFIELD   BED 
ONION. 


ed.  When  sown  from  seed,  as  a  field  crop,  it  is  said  to 
give  one-third  greater  weight  than  any  other  variety,  but 
it  does  not  keep  so  well  as  some  others. 

Wethersfield    Large  Red,— This  is  the  staple  variety 
of  the  eastern  Onion  growers ; 
enormous  quantities  of  it  are 
grown   for   shipment,  it    be- 
ing   found,    from    its    excel- 
lm    lent  keeping  qualities,  to  be 
(jj    best  fitted  for  that  purpose. 
/       It  is  never  so  salable  as  the 
White   or   Yellow,  however, 
Fig.  58.— POTATO  ONION.          jn  our  home  markets. 
Early  Large  Red, — About  a  fortnight  earlier  than  the 
Large  Wethersfield,  rather  smaller  in  size,  close  grained 
and  heavy ;  mild  in  flavor,  a  good  keeper. 


VEGETABLES — PARSLEY. 


217 


Potato  Onions,  or  "  Multipliers,"  are  the  best  of  all 
for  family  use.     They  are  grown  by  planting  the  small 
bulbs,  early  in  spring,  in  rows  1  foot  apart,  by  4  or  5  inches 
in  the  row,  and  cultivated  otherwise  as  described  for  those 
grown  from  sets.     The  increase  is  formed  by  the  bulb,  as 
it  grows,  splitting  up  and  dividing  into  six  or  eight  bulbs^ 
these  forming  the  crop  when  at  maturity  in  August. 
Top,  OF  Tree  Onion,— Has  a  bulb  in  size  and  general 
appearance  similar  to  the  Po. 
into  Onion,  but  is  propagated 
by  the  singular  production  of 
a  cluster  of  small  bulbs  in 
place  of  flowers.  These  resem- 
ble a  cluster  of  hazel  nuts, 
and  by  them  it  propagates 
very  rapidly.     It  is  grown  to 
a  considerable  extent,  in  some 
places,   as   an    early  market 
sort,  sold  green ;    when  ripe, 
it  must  be  used  early  in  the 

season,  as  it  does  not  keep  well  in  winter.     The  planting 
and  subsequent  culture  is  the  same  as  for  other  sorts. 


PARSLEY. — (Petroselinum  sativum.) 

A  vegetable  in  more  general  use  for  garnishing  than  any 
other  plant  of  our  gardens ;  it  is  also  extensively  used  in 
soups,  stews,  etc.  Its  cultivation  forms  quite  an  import- 
ant item  in  market  gardens,  particularly  under  glass. 


218  GARDENING*    FOR    PROFIT. 

The  manner  of  cultivating  it  thus  is  by  sowing  it  be- 
tween the  rows  of  a  growing  crop  of  Lettuce  in  our  cold 
frames,  in  April.  As  it  is  slow  to  germinate,  it  only  ap- 
pears at  the  time  the  Lettuce  is  cut  off  in  May.  It  is  then 
cleared  from  weeds,  hoed,  and  forms  a  growth  fit  to  cut  a 
month  before  that  sown  in  the  open  ground.  After  the 
first  cutting  has  been  made,  in  June,  it  is  generally  so  low 
in  price  as  not  to  be  worth  marketing,  so  it  is  allowed  to 
grow  through  the  summer  until  the  first  week  in  Septem- 
ber, when  it  is  cut  off  close  to  the  ground  and  thrown 
away,  as  it  is  rarely  wanted  at  this  season.  It  is  again 
hoed,  and  as  at  this  time  it  makes  a  short  healthy  growth, 
suitable  for  keeping  well  in  winter,  it  is  stowed  away  in 
narrow  shallow  trenches,  exactly  in  the  same  manner  in 
which  we  preserve  Celery. 

This  way  of  growing  Parsley,  I  believe,  is  nearly  con- 
fined to  New  York ;  but  as  the  consumption  of  such  an 
article  is  necessarily  limited,  this  market  has  been  over- 
supplied  of  late  years.  Formerly  it  has  frequently  paid 
twice  the  value  of  the  sash  that  covered  it,  in  one  season — 
$6  for  a  3  x  6  sash.  No  doubt,  in  many  places  this  system 
of  growing  would  be  as  profitable  as  it  used  to  be  with 
us.  When  not  grown  under  glass,  it  should  be  sown 
thickly  in  rows  a  foot  apart,  in  early  spring.  The  vari- 
eties cultivated  are  the  "  Dwarf  Curled,"  for  framing  and 
general  crop,  and  the  Moss  or  Fimbriated,  for  garnishing, 


VEGETABLES — PARSNIP.  219 

PAESNIP. — (Pastinaea  satwa.) 

Of  late  years,  our  market  garden  grounds  have  "become 
too  valuable  to  be  used  in  growing  this  vegetable,  the 
competition  from  well,  cultivated  farm  lands  having 
broaght  it  down  below  our  paying  level.  Its  cultivation 
is,  in  all  respects,  similar  to  the  Carrot.  The  soil  most 
suitable  is  a  deep  sandy  loam,  moderately  enriched.  It 
is  sown  rather  thickly  in  our  gardens  in  early  spring,  at 
a  distance  of  12  or  14  inches  apart  in  the  rows ;  on  farm 
lands,  at  18  or  20  inches,  or  wide  enough  for  rows  to  be 
worked  between  by  the  cultivator.  Like  all  vegetables 
of  this  nature,  it  must  be  thinned  out  to  a  distance  of  3 
or  4  inches  apart  between  the  plants ;  and  our  oft  repeat- 
ed caution  about  weeds  must  be  here  again  enjoined.  It 
is  used  almost  exclusively  in  winter,  but  in  our  Northern 
States,  what  is  wanted  for  winter  use,  must  be  dug  up  in 
fall,  and  packed  away  in  the  manner  described  under  the 
head  of  "  Preserving  Vegetables  in  Winter."  What  are 
wanted  for  sale  or  use  in  spring,  are  best  kept  in  the  bed 
where  they  grow;  being  entirely  hardy  in  our  coldest 
districts.  About  one-half  is  usually  dug  up  and  pitted  in 
fall,  for  sale  in  whiter,  and  the  other  half  left  over  for 
spring.  But  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  winter  sup- 
ply is  exhausted  before  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground  in 
spring,  sufficiently  to  permit  of  their  being  dug,  and  when 
procurable  at  such  times,  they  command  almost  fabulou 
prices. 

On  one  such  occasion  my  salesman  reported  that  there 
was  not  a  root  of  this  vegetable  to  be  found  in  market, 
and  suggested  an  attempt  to  dig  them  at  any  cost.  On 
an  examination  of  a  well  sheltered  plot,  we  found  it  prae- 


220  GARDENING  FOR  PROFIT. 

ticable,  with  crowbars,  picks,  and  wedges,  to  extract  them 
slowly  from  the  frozen  soil,  and  with  our  ordinary  force, 
a  few  barrels  were  dug  that  day  that  were  quickly  sold  at 
$10  per  barrel.  I  at  once  secured  a  supply  of  extra  labor- 
ers, and  by  our  efforts  the  next  day,  we  sent  in  40  barrels 
that  sold  for  $6  per  barrel ;  three  or  four  days  more  ex- 
hausted our  supply,  but  the  plot,  of  little  more  than  half 
an  acre,  brought  nearly  $800,  which  would  not  have  sold 
for  more  than  $200,  had  not  the  unusual  scarcity  in  mar- 
ket been  taken  advantage  of.  The  average  market  price 
is  about  $1.50  per  barrel,  and  at  that  rate,  as  a  farm  crop, 
it  is,  in  my  opinion,  by  50  per  cent,  a  better  paying  crop 
than  Onions.  It  will  average  easily  200  barrels  per  acre, 
and  in  our  rich  garden  soil  about  300.  The  expense  of 
raising  I  should  judge  to  be  not  more  than  $100  per  acre 
on  farm  land ;  in  gardens  about  $200.  The  increased  cost 
in  the  gai'den  being  mainly  in  the  greater  value  of  the 
land,  for  it  will  be  remembered  that  the  annual  rent  of 
leased  gardens  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  and  other 
large  cities,  is  about  $75  per  acre. 

A  number  of  varieties  of  Parsnips  are  enumerated  in 
seed  lists,  but  the  distinctions,  as  far  as  I  have  seen,  are 
hardly  worth  a  difference  in  name,  and  I  am  inclined  to 
think  that  the  soil  often  determines  peculiarities  of  variety. 
Certain  it  is,  that  by  sowing  the  "  Hollow  Crowned  "  on 
heavy  soil,  it  will  be  in  a  great  measure  deprived  of  that 
distinction,  while  the  same  seed  sown  on  light  sandy  soil, 
will  have  this  peculiarity  well  marked. 


VEGETABLES — PEA.  221 

PEA.— (Pimm,  sativum.) 

The  Pea  is  grown  largely  for  market  purposes  in  nearly 
every  state  in  the  Union,  the  time  at  which  it  is  sown  and 
matures  being  at  widely  different  dates  in  northern  and 
southern  sections.  In  any  district,  its  highest  degree  of 
perfection  is  attained  under  a  comparatively  low  tempera- 
ture, hence  it  is  one  of  the  many  vegetables  described  as 
best  to  be  sown  in  "  early  spring."  True,  it  is  sown  for  a 
succession  crop  throughout  the  summer  months,  even  as 
late  as  August,  but  the  first  sowings,  everywhere,  always 
produce  the  best  results,  and  it  is  from  the  first  sowings 
only  that  it  is  ever  offered  in  market.  For  market  pur- 
poses it  is  more  a  crop  of  the  farm  than  of  the  garden, 
and  many  hundred  acres  are  cultivated  in  Southern  Jersey 
and  Long  Island  for  the  New  York  market.  Warm, 
light  soils,  moderately  enriched  by  stable  manure  or  bone 
dust,  are  best  adapted  to  its  culture,  but  if  the  ground 
has  been  manured  the  previous  year,  no  manure  is  needed. 
The  whole  crop  is  marketed  by  July,  and  is  usually  follow- 
ed by  a  second  crop  of  Late  Cabbages  or  Turnips.  The 
two  crops  together,  average  a  profit  of  from  $150  to 
$300  per  acre,  according  to  earliness,  condition  of  soil,  etc. 
There  is  an  important  matter  connected  with  growing 
Peas,  that  confines  their  culture  to  the  vicinity  of  a  town 
or  village ;  it  is  the  necessity  of  being  able  to  get  a  large 
number  of  hands  to  pick,  at  the  time  they  are  marketable. 
The  variation  in  one  day,  in  the  market,  is  not  unusually 
from  $2  to  50  cents  per  bushel,  which  shows  the  vast  im- 
portance of  an  early  crop.  From  the  soft  condition  in 
which  it  is  required  to  be  gathered,  it  is  a  vegetable  not 
very  manageable  to  ship,  and  the  packages,  which  should 


222  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

be  of  latticed  boxes  or  baskets,  should  never  exceed  the 
capacity  of  a  bushel,  when  shipped  from,  distances  requir- 
ing from  two  to  three  days  in  the  transit.  But  even  this 
expense  and  care  is  well  repaid  by  the  high  rates  for 
which  the  first  lots  are  sold.  When  grown  as  a  market 
crop,  Peas  are  never  staked,  and  are  sown  in  single  rows 
2  to  3  inches  deep,  and  from  2  to  3  feet  apart,  according 
to  the  variety,  or  the  strength  of  the  soil.  When  grown 
in  small  quantities  for  private  use,  they  are  generally  sown 
in  double  rows,  6  or  8  inches  apart,  and  staked  up  by  brush, 
for  the  taller  growing  kinds. 

The  varieties  are  very  numerous,  but  are  in  a  great  state 
of  confusion,  the  same  kind  being  often  sent  out  under  a 
dozen  names.  The  following  varieties  are  well  defined, 
arranged  as  our  experience  gives  the  order  of  merit  for  this 
locality. 

EARLY   VARIETIES. 

Daniel  O'Rourke  is  still  the  leading  market  variety 
in  this  district,  and  in  fact,  must  be  in  all  parts  of  the 
country,  judging  from  the  immense  quantities  of  it  sold 
by  the  seedsmen.  It  should  be  sown,  for  a  field  crop,  in 
rows  from  2  to  2£  feet  apart,  about  1|  bushels  of  seed  be- 
ing required  per  acre. 

Extra  Early. — We  find  this  to  be  a  few  days  earlier 
than  the  preceding,  but  not  quite  so  large  in  the  pod,  and 
hence  not  so  profitable  for  market,  but_  desirable  as  the 
earliest  sort  for  private  use.  A  favorite  market  variety  in 
the  Southern  States,  and  shipped  north  in  large  quantities. 


VEGETABLES — PEA.  223 

Little  Genii — A  green,  wrinkled  marrow,  similar  in 
habit  to  the  Tom  Thumb,  but  much  superior  in  quality, 
and  coming  into  use  a  few  days  later  than  Daniel 
O'Rourke.  It  is  very  prolific  and  of.  excellent  flavor. 
Grows  about  one  foot  high. 

Blue  Peter. — A  new  and  remarkably  dwarf  variety, 
growing  only  about  six  inches  high.  It  is  earlier  than 
Daniel  O'Rourke,  very  prolific,  of  fine  flavor,  and  is  said 
to  be  an  improvement  on  Little  Gem. 

Tom  Thumb. — An  early  and  productive  variety  grow- 
ing about  one  foot  high.  It  is  also  a  very  hardy  variety, 
and  is  generally  used  for  sowing  in  fall  in  the  Southern 
States,  where  it  sometimes  requires  a  little  protection  by 
brush  during  winter,  and  it  matures  very  early  in  spring. 
As  it  matures  its  crop  nearly  all  at  once,  it  is  not  so  well 
suited  to  private  as  to  market  gardens. 

McCIean'S  Advancer. — A  comparatively  new  variety, 
becoming  fit  for  use  in  a  week  after  the  earliest  sorts ;  pod 
and  pea  large,  and  of  excellent  flavor. 

LATE  VARIETIES. 

Champion  Of  England.  —  This,  so  far,  is,  by  general 
consent,  acknowledged  as  the  best  of  the  late  varieties.  It 
is  tall  growing,  four  feet  in  hight,  requiring  to  be  staked 
up ;  pod  and  peas  of  the  largest  size. 

British  Queen, — Plant  strong  and  vigorous,  often  at 
taining  a  hight  of  six  feet.  Aside  from  its  large  size,  it  hai 
the  merit  of  continuing  long  in  bearing,  and  is  less  af- 
fected by  mildew  in  summer  than  most  other  varieties. 

Blue   Imperial. — One  of  the  oldest  varieties,  but  yet 


224  GAEDBNING   FOB   PROFIT. 

standing  witL  undiminished  merit  as  one  of  the  best  late 
summer  varieties ;  it  is  one  of  the  latest,  very  productive, 
and  of  excellent  quality. 

Veitch's  Perfection,— One  of  the  dwarfs  of  the  late 
varieties,  abundantly  productive ;  pods  and  peas  of  the 
largest  size ;  a  favorite  fall  sort. 

Black  and  White-eyed  Marrowfat.— These  are  both 
productive  and  hardy  varieties,  extensively  grown  as  field 
peas ;  used  dry.  They  are  also,  from  their  great  produc- 
tiveness, grown  largely  in  private  gardens,  but  they  are 
not  so  fine  flavored  as  most  other  varieties. 

Tall  and  Dwarf  Sugar. — These  are  the  varieties  known 
as  "  edible  podded,"  and  are  excellent  to  use  in  the  green 
state,  in  the  same  way  as  String  Beans,  retaining  almost 
the  identical  flavor  of  the  Pea.  When  not  used  with  the 
pods,  they  are  equally  excellent  as  shelled  Peas,  and  as 
the  name  implies,  particularly  sweet. 


PEPPER. — (Capsicum  annuum.) 

A  tropical  plant,  that  requires  to  be  started  in  hot-beds 
or  forcing  pits,  in  the  Northern  States.  The  most  com- 
mon method  is,  to  sow  in  hot-beds  in  March,  and  treat  in 
all  respects  as  directed  for  the  cultivation  of  the  Egg 
Plant.  Light  sandy  soils  are  rather  best  suited  for  its 
growth,  but  it  will  grow  tolerably  well  on  any  soil. 
When  cultivated  for  market,  they  are  planted  in  rows  2 
feet  apart,  and  15  inches  between  the  plants.  The  crop 


VEGETABLES— POTATO.  225 

is  moderately  profitable,  but  it  is  not  grown  in  large  quan- 
tities, the  main  consumption  of  it  being  by  the  pickle 
factories. 

The  popular  varieties  are ; 

Bull-nose,  or  Bell,— An  early  variety  of  mild  flavor, 
rind  thick  and  fleshy ;  it  is  a  favorite 
variety  both  for  pickling  and  for  use 
in  the  crude  state. 

Squash,  or  Tomato-shaped,— Gener- 
ally grown  for  pickling,  hardly  so  early 
as  the  preceding,  but  very  productive  j 
it  is  the  leading  market  variety. 

Sweet      Mountain,     or 
Fig.  60—^urHOBH,  Mammoth,— Similar  to  the 
OB  BELL  PEPPER.    Bull-nose,   but  larger,  and 
milder  in  flavor ;  used  to  make  stuffed  pickles. 
Cayenne, — The  variety  of  commerce ;  pods 
small,  cone-shaped;    coral-red   when  ripe;    it 
is  quite  a  late  variety,  but  the  pods  are  as 
frequently  used   for  pickling  green   as   when  -pig. 
ripe.     Extremely  acrid.  ™™  PEPPER 


POTATO. — (Solanum  tuberosum.) 

The  soil  acknowledged  to  be  best  suited  for  the  Potato, 
is  sandy  loam ;  in  all  heavy  soils  it  is  more  subject  to  dis- 
ease, and  the  flavor  is  also  much  inferior.  This,  however, 
is  true  of  nearly  all  vegetables,  heavy  soils  inducing  a  wa- 
tery insipidity  of  flavor.  Like  all  robust  growing  vegeta- 


226  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

bles,  Potatoes  can  be  grown  with  varying  success  on  soils 
of  all  kinds  and  in  all  conditions  of  fertility;  but  it  is 
every  way  most  profitable  to  use  an  abundance  of  ma- 
nure, when  it  is  at  all  attainable.  In  breaking  up  good 
pasture  land,  the  decaying  sod  answers  sufficiently  well 
for  the  first  year  in  lieu  of  manure.  Manure  is  applied 
either  in  the  rows  or  hills,  or  broadcast  over  the  surface, 
and  plowed  in ;  the  latter  plan  in  all  cases  being  prefer- 
able, when  manure  can  be  obtained  in  sufficient  quantities. 

Potatoes,  when  grown  for  market,  are  always  a  farm  crop, 
the  receipts  per  acre  being  much  too  low  for  the  regular 
market  garden ;  the  large  quantities  that  are  planted  usu- 
ally prevent  the  use  of  manure  in  any  other  way  except  in 
the  rows.  When  thus  a-pplied,  furrows  are  plowed  out  in 
spring,  after  the  ground  has  become  dry  and  warm,  usu- 
ally 3  feet  apart,  and  from  3  to  4  inches  deep.  The  ma- 
nure is  spread  in  the  furrow,  the  "sets"  or  "seed" 
planted  thereon,  from  8  to  ]  0  inches  apart,  and  the  furrow 
again  covered  in  by  the  plow.  As  soon  as  the  shoots  are 
seen  above  ground,  the  ridge  should  be  at  once  hoed,  and 
the  cultivator  run  between  the  rows;  as  they  advance  in 
growth,  the  soil  should  be  laid  up  on  each  side  against 
the  row,  so  as  to  form  a  slight  ridge. 

Considerable  discussion  has  at  various  times  occurred 
concerning  the  relative  merits  of  planting  cut  or  whole 
tubers,  but  is  yet  undecided,  each  system  having  its  advo- 
cates ;  a  fact  which  goes  far  to  prove  that  it  is  of  little 
consequence  which  method  is  followed.  The  best  rule,  in 
our  experience  is,  to  plant  the  whole  small  tubers  if  fully 
matured,  and  the  larger  ones  cut,  but  in  either  case  leav 
ing  enough  bulk  to  give  sufficient  sustenance  to  the  plant. 


VEGETABLES POTATO.  227 

The  Long  Island  farmers,  in  the  neighborhood  of  New 
York,  have  their  crops  of  Early  Potatoes  sold  off  early 
enough  in  July  to  get  the  ground  leveled  and  Late  Cab- 
bages planted  on  the  ridge  on  which  the  Potatoes  have 
been  growing,  sufficient  manure  being  left  in  the  ground 
to  carry  through  the  crop  of  Cabbage.  The  two  crops 
together  give  an  average  profit  of  $150  per  acre.  Pota- 
toes may  be  preserved  during  winter  by  the  section  pifc 
system  recommended  for  the  general  preservation  of 
vegetables,  or  in  a  frost-proof  cellar. 

The  varieties  of  the  Potato  are  very  numerous,  many  of 
them  having  only  local  reputations,  so  that  it  is  somewhat 
difficult  to  name  the  best  for  such  an  extensive  territory 
as  ours ;  those  below  named  seem  to  have  the  most  qual- 
ifications to  commend  them  for  general  culture. 

Early  Rose, — This  excellent  variety  was  introduced 
about  five  years  ago,  and  has  become  a  universal  favorite. 
It  is  one  of  the  very  best  yet  introduced,  unrivalled  for 
earliness,  quality,  and  productiveness. 

Early  Goodrich, — This  variety  has  become  very  popu- 
lar in  some  sections  of  the  country.  It  is  an  early  and 
productive  variety,  of  good  quality,  yielding  on  rich  soils 
from  250  to  350  bushels  per  acre. 

Early  Vermont. — A  seedling  raised  in  1867,  from  a 
seed  ball  of  the  well  known  Jackson  White,  fertilized  with 
the  Garnet  Chili.  Its  habit  of  growth  and  general  ap- 
pearance is  much  like  the  Early  Rose,  but  it  has  proved 
from  seven  to  ten  days  earlier  than  that  favorite  sort.  It 
is  also  said  to  be  more  productive  and  fully  equal  in  qual- 
ity to  that  variety. 

Jackson  White. — A  variety  of  great  excellence;  tubers 


228  GABDENING   FOB   PBOFIT. 

large;  color  yellowish-white;  skin  often  rough.  An  ex- 
cellent flavored  variety,  and  though  not  early,  is  exten- 
sively grown  in  this  vicinity  for  general  crop.  Plant  two 
and  a  half  to  three  feet  in  drills. 

Peach  Blow. — Extensively  grown  for  market,  and  a 
favorite  shipping  variety.  Tubers  rather  large,  round; 
eyes  rather  sunk;  skin  pinkish-red.  Very  productive, 
and  in  this  section  has  for  some  years  withstood  disease 
better  than  any  other  sort ;  should  be  planted  21  \t  or  3 
feet  in  drills. 

White  Peach  Blow,— A  sub-variety  of  the  above, 
claimed  by  some  to  be  superior. 

Late  Rose, — A  u  sport "  from  the  Early  Rose,  coming  to 
maturity  from  two  to  three  weeks  later  than  that  variety, 
and  said  to  be  more  productive,  hardier,  and  a  better 
keeper. 

Compton'S  Surprise.— A  new  late  variety,  claimed  to 
excel  all  others  for  productiveness,  size,  and  fine  quality 
and  appearance.  Shape  oval-oblong;  eyes  sunken;  skin 
smooth ;  color  reddish  purple,  flesh  white ;  grows  to  a 
large  size,  and  retains  its  quality  perfectly  throughout  the 
year. 

Peerless, — This  variety,  like  the  Early  Rose,  is  a  seed- 
ling from  the  Garnet  Chili  It  is  a  good  variety  for  the 
main  crop ;  grows  to  a  large  size,  and  is  very  productive, 
frequently  producing  from  100  to  150  barrels  to  the  acre. 


VEGETABLES— PUMPKIN — RADISH.  220 

PUMPKIN.— (Gucurbita  Pepo.) 

The  Pumpkin  is  yet  offered  in  large  quantities  for  sale 
in  our  markets,  but  it  ought  to  be  banished  from  them 
as  it  has  for  some  time  been  from  our  gardens.  But 
the  good  lieges  of  our  cities  are  suspicious  of  all  innova- 
tions in  what  is  offered  them  to  eat,  and  it  will  be  many 
years  yet  before  the  masses  will  understand  that  the  mod- 
est, and  sometimes  uncouth  looking,  Squash  is  immeasure- 
ably  superior,  for  all  culinary  purposes,  to  the  mammoth, 
rotund  Pumpkin.  The  Pumpkin  is  an  excellent  agricul- 
tural plant,  of  great  value  for  cattle,  but  I  have  no  reason 
to  allude  to  it  here,  except  to  denounce  its  cultivation  or 
use  as  a  garden  vegetable. 


RADISH.— (Raphanus  sativut.) 

Radishes  are  consumed  in  immense  quantities,  and  are 
one  of  the  vegetables  which  we  deem  of  no  little  import- 
ance as  a  market  crop.  To  have  them  early,  a  light  rich 
soil  is  the  best ;  heavy  or  clayey  soils  not  only  delay  their 
maturing,  but  produce  crops  much  inferior,  both  in  appear- 
ance and  flavor.  They  are  grown  by  us  in  various  meth- 
ods ;  the  most  common  is,  after  sowing  a  crop  of  Beets  in 
rows,  to  sow  the  Radish  crop  regularly  over  the  bed 
broadcast.  The  Radishes  come  up  quickly,  and  are  gath- 
ered and  sold,  usually  in  six  weeks  from  the  time  of  sow- 
ing. The  Beets  at  this  time  have  only  become  large 
enough  to  be  thinned,  and  will  not  be  ready  for  at  least  a 
month  later,  so  that  the  Radish  crop  is  taken  off  the  same 


230  GARDENING  FOB  PROFIT. 

ground  with  little  or  no  injury  to  the  Beet  crop.  Another 
method  is,  to  sow  them  between  the  rows  of  Early  Cab- 
bages or  Cauliflowers,  where  they  also  are  gathered  off  so 
soon  as  not  to  interfere  with  these  crops. 

These  are  the  methods  practised  in  our  gardens  here, 
where  land  is  so  valuable  that  we  must  make  it  always 
carry  double,  and  often  treble,  crops  in  a  season.    Radishes 
are  also  grown  in  some  places  very  extensively, 
on  land    devoted   exclusively  to   that   purpose, 
in  spring.      Their  culture   thus   is  exceedingly 
simple.     The  ground  being  plowed  and  harrow- 
ed well,  the  seed  is  sown,  and  the  harrow  again 
run  over,  which  places  the  seed  at  the  proper 
depth.     But  though  the  field  cultivation  of  this 
vegetable  is  simple,  the  labor  of  gathering,  tying 
up,  and    washing,  preparatory    for    market,  is 
great,  which   detracts  largely  from  the  profits. 
Perhaps  the  average  receipts  are  $300  per  acre, 
but  the  expense,  before  this  is  realized,  is  prob- 
ably one-half  that  amount.     It  must  be  remem- 
bered, that,  in  many  cases,  it  is  an  auxiliary  crop, 
interfering  but  little  with  our  main  spring  crops. 
It  is  one  of  the  vegetables  convenient  to  ship, 
and  the  early  samples  from  Norfolk,  Va.,  aver- 
Fi?  $2-  age  $10  per  barrel,  of  200  bunches;  or  about  $1000 
LONG  SCAB-  per  acre,  which  should  be  a  great  inducement 
TOP.      to  southern  cultivators,  as   there   is    but    little 
danger  of   glutting   the  markets  with   fresh  vegetables 
shipped  from  a  southern  to  a  northernport.     Only  a  few 
varieties  are  cultivated,  although  the  seed  lists  give  dozens. 
Long  Scarlet  Short  Top.— This  is  the  variety  grown 


VEGETABLES KADISH.  231 

in  rather  the  largest  quantity,  as  from  its  shape,  (when 
tied  up  in  flat  bunches),  it  is  best  suited  to  ship.  In  rich 
light  soils,  its  average  length  is  about  9  inches. 

Scarlet  Turnip. — Rather  more  delicate  in  flavor  than 
the  above,  and  for  this  reason  in  more 
demand  for  home  consumption.  By  al- 
lowing it  sufficient  time  to  grow,  it  at- 
tains 3  inches  in  diameter,  but  it  is  al- 
ways gathered  at  half 
this  size.  This,  and  the 
preceding,  are  the  two 
varieties  that  are  grown 
as  early  market  sorts. 
Fig.  63.— SCARLET 

White  Turnip. -A 

sub-variety  of  the  above,  differing  only 

Fig.  64.— OLIVE 
in  color;  grown  for  the  sake  of  variety.    SHAPED  KADISH. 

French  Breakfast. — A  variety  of  quick  growth,  very 
mild  and  tender,  and  one  of  the  best  for  forcing ;  color 
scarlet,  tipped  with  white ;  of  oval  form. 

Scarlet  Olive-Shaped, — An  excellent  variety;  color 
crimson,  rather  than  scarlet ;  small  top ;  early. 

LATE  VARIETIES,  GROWN  FOR  FALL 
AND   WINTER  USE. 

Yellow  and  Gray  Turnip-rooted,  —  Varieties  well 
adapted  for  summer  use,  as  they  stand  the  heat  better  than 
the  early  sorts ;  they  are  mild  in  flavor,  but  are  but  little 
grown,  as  few  relish  Radishes  at  that  season. 


32  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

Rose-COlored  Chinese,— A  valuable  variety ;  color  pink 
or  rose ;  skin  smooth ;  of  sharp  but  agree' 
able  flavor.  Keeps  as  well  as  any. 

Black  Spanish,— A  very  hardy  variety 
often  preserved,  keeps  as  well  as  any 
other  root  in  sand  until  mid-winter,  in 
cellar  or  root-house ;  large  size ;  color 
grayish-black ;  rather  harsh  in  flavor. 


RHUBARB.— (Rheum  JRhaponticum.) 

Rhubarb  is  now  cultivated  largely  for 
Fig.  65.— ROSE-     market  purposes  in  the  vicinity  of  all 

COLORED  CHINESE 

BADISH.  large  cities,  and  few  private  gardens 
are  without  it.  Its  culture  is  of  the  simplest  kind.  It  is 
a  plant  that  adapts  itself  to  almost  any  soil,  provided  it  is 
well  drained,  artificially  or  otherwise.  The  preferable  soil 
for  Rhubarb  as  for  most  vegetables,  is  a  deep,  sandy  loam. 
Whatever  the  soil,  it  should  be  plowed  from  10  to  12 
inches  deep,  the  subsoil  plow  following  in  the  wake  of  the 
other,  stirring  to  the  depth  of  10  or  12  inches  more;  after 
plowing,  harrow  deeply  and  thoroughly. 

After  the  soil  is  prepared,  lines  are  struck  out  by  the 
plow  4  feet  apart  from  each  side  of  the  field  or  plot,  so 
that  they  will  intersect  at  right  angles.  At  these  points 
the  plants  are  set,  first  mixing  with  the  soil  3  or  4  shovel- 
fuls of  well-rotted  manure  for  each  plant.  The  time  of 
planting  in  the  Northern  or  "Western  States  may  be  either 
in  the  fall  or  spring ;  at  the  South  the  fall  is  preferable. 


VEGETABLES — RHUBABB.  233 

Rhubarb  is  usually  propagated  by  division  of  the  old 
roots;  each  eye  or  bud  when  broken  apart  with  a  root 
attached,  forming  a  plant.  But  making  a  plantation  of 
any  great  extent  in  this  way  is  expensive  to  the  beginner; 
as  the  roots  are  rarely  to  be  purchased  under  $50  per 
1,000  eyes,  and  as  about  3,000  plants  are  required  to  an 
acre,  quite  an  outlay  is  necessary. 

This  expense  may  be  obviated  by  increasing  the  plants 
by  seeds  instead  of  by  division  of  the  roots.  In  the 
Northern  States,  the  best  time  to  sow  the  seed  is  about 
March  first,  in  a  cold  pit  or  frame,  that  is,  such  a  pit 
or  frame  as  is  used  for  keeping  Cabbage  or  Lettuce  plants 
in  during  winter.  The  soil  best  suited  is  a  rich  sandy 
loam,  which  should  be  thoroughly  pulverized,  and  the 
surface  made  completely  level  before  sowing.  One  pound 
of  seeds,  which  will  give  about  one  thousand  plants,  will 
be  sufficient  to  sow  six  sashes,  or  about  100  square  feet  of 
surface.  After  sowing,  a  soil  made  light  with  half  its 
bulk  of  leaf  mould  from  the  woods,  should  be  evenly 
spread  over  the  seed  to  the  depth  of  one  quarter  of  an 
inch,  and  then  nicely  patted  down  with  the  back  of  a 
spade.  This  is  necessary  in  the  sowing  of  all  seeds ;  for 
if  the  soil  which  covers  them  is  left  too  loose,  the  air  gets 
through  and  dries  up  the  seed,  so  that  they  germinate 
slowly  or  not  at  all.  Thousands  of  dollars  are  annually 
lost  both  on  the  farm  and  in  the  garden  by  the  want  of 
this  simple  precaution.  If  the  surface  of  the  soil  in  the 
frames  becomes  dry,  it  will  be  necessary  to  water,  show- 
ering freely  from  a  fine  rose  watering-pot.  If  the  sashes 
are  covered  up  by  mats  or  shutters  so  that  the  soil  never 
becomes  frozen,  the  plants  will  be  large  enough,  if  sown 


234  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

March  1st,  to  transplant  by  May  1st,  but  if  not  covered 
up  at  night  they  will  take  three  weeks  longer.  In  local- 
ities warm  enough  to  begin  out-door  operations  by  the 
end  of  February  or  the  beginning  of  March,  there  will  be 
no  need  of  sowing  under  sashes,  as  sowing  in  the  open 
air  in  the  manner  described,  will  do  equally  well. 

The  plants  are  fit  to  be  transplanted  into  the  open 
ground  when  they  are  about  an  inch  in  height.  The  soil 
to  receive  them  should  be  enriched  and  pulverized  in  the 
best  manner,  and  the  plants  set  out  either  in  rows  12 
inches  apart  and  3  inches  between  the  plants,  or  in  beds  of 
a  convenient  width,  say  4  feet,  and  the  plants  set  equi- 
distant, 6  inches  each  way.  By  fall  they  will  have  grown, 
if  kept  clear  of  weeds,  so  as  to  cover  all  the  ground,  and 
may  then,  in  the  succeeding  spring,  be  planted  out  per- 
manently in  the  manner  previously  described. 

The  first  season  after  planting,  no  stalks  will  be  pulled, 
but  the  next  year  a  full  return  may  be  expected  if  proper 
attention  has  been  given  to  cultivation. 

It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  name  the  annual  profits 
from  an  acre  of  Rhubarb  in  full  bearing,  as  everything 
depends  upon  earliness.  Even  here  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  York,  growers  vary  in  their  statements  from  $100 
to  $500  per  acre.  The  difference  of  a  week  in  earliness 
makes  a  difference  of  $200  and  $300. 

It  may  be  safe  to  say,  however,  that  it  will  average,  in 
this  .vicinity,  a  profit  of  $350  per  acre  annually,  from  the 
date  of  planting;  in  many  places  where  there  is  less  com- 
petition, no  doubt  double  or  treble  that  amount  may  be 
realized.  Rhubarb  is  a  most  simple  and  convenient  plant 
for  forcing,  which  may  be  done  in  the  following  manner. 


VEGETABLES KHUBARB.  235 

The  roots  are  dug  from  the  open  ground  in  fall,  put  close 
together  in  a  box  or  barrel,  and  soil  sifted  in  to  fill  the 
interstices  between  the  roots;  they  are  then  placed  in  a 
situation  where  the  temperature  will  range  from  55°  to 
75°,  with  a  moderate  amount  of  moisture.  By  this  treat- 
ment, Rhubarb  may  be  had  from  January  to  April.  The 
roots  may  be  placed  wherever  there  is  the  necessary  tem- 
perature ;  light  is  not  at  all  necessary ;  in  fact,  the  stalks 
of  Rhubarb  are  much  more  crisp  and  tender  when  forced 
without  exposure  to  direct  light ;  hence  the  roots  may  be 
placed  in  the  furnace  room  of  a  cellar,  under  the  staging 
of  a  greenhouse,  or  in  an  early  forcing  grapery.  A  florist 
in  Boston  told  me  a  few  years  ago,  that  he  had  sold 
enough  Rhubarb  grown  under  his  greenhouse  stages,  to 
pay  his  coal  bill  (over  $100),  besides  having  all  he  wanted 
for  his  family  use.  Rhubarb  is  forced  quite  extensively 
by  some  of  our  market  gardeners ;  the  method  pursued 
by  them  is  to  lift  the  roots  from  the  open  ground  in  the 
fall,  place  them  as  closely  together  as  possible  in  such 
pits  or  frames  as  are  used  for  hot-beds,  but  about  two 
feet  deep,  sifting  in  soil  so  as  to  fill  the  spaces  between 
the  roots.  On  the  approach  of  cold  weather,  the  whole 
is  covered  over  with  a  foot  or  so  of  dry  leaves,  and  so  re- 
mains until  about  February  first,  when  the  leaves  are 
removed  and  sashes  placed  on  the  frames.  Sometimes 
this  is  not  done  until  March,  the  sashes  being  then  used 
which  have  been  covering  Cabbage  plants  through  the 
winter.  But  little  ventilation  is  given  to  the  frames  at 
this  cold  season,  as  it  is  necessary  to  raise  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  frame  by  the  action  of  the  sun's  rays,  so  as  to 
forward  the  crop.  It  greatly  aids  the  forwarding  if  the 


236  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

sashes  are  covered  up  at  night  by  straw  mats  or  shutters. 
Rhubarb  so  forced  matures  about  one  month  before  it 
is  marketable  from  the  open  ground,  and  averages  about 
$10  for  each  3x6  feet  sash.     It  must  be  borne  in  mind, 
however,  that  forcing  to  some  extent  injures  the  roots, 
and  for  that  reason  it  is  only  practised  by  those  who  have 
a  surplus  that  they  would  otherwise  throw  away. 
The  principal  varieties  in  cultivation  are : 
Linn&as. — Early  and  best  for  general  crop. 
Victoria! — Later  but  much  larger. 


8A0B.— CO***  officinal*.) 
See  Thyme,  and  other  Sweet  Herbs. 


SALSIFY,  OE  OYSTEE  PLANT. 

(Tragopogon  porrifolius.) 

This  vegetable  is  coming  rapidly  into  general  use; 
patches  of  an  acre  of  extent  are  seen  in  some  of  the  more 
extensive  gardens  here,  that  a  few  years  ago  grew  only  a 
few  rows.  It  should  be  sown  in  early  spring.  Its  cul- 
ture is  in  all  respects  similar  to  that  of  Carrots,  and  al- 
though its  consumption  is  as  yet  limited,  for  what  is  grown 
of  it,  the  prices  are  high  and  very  remunerative.  It  is  more- 
over a  safe  root  to  cultivate,  for,  being  entirely  hardy,  there 
is  no  risk  whatever  of  its  being  injured  by  frost,  should  it 
so  happen  that  the  digging  up  is  neglected  in  the  hurry 


VEGETABLES SALSIFY. 


237 


of  fall  work.  It  is  generally  better,  however,  to  dig  it  up 
and  put  it  away  as  we  do  Parsnips  or  Carrots,  so  that  it 
can  be  got  at  any  time  during  winter. 
It  usually  sells  at  higher  rates  in  spring, 
than  in  fall  or  winter;  but  even  with 
the  advance  in  price  is  less  profitable  to 
the  grower  when  sold  in  spring,  as  that 
being  a  busy  season,  the  labor  expended 
in  digging  it  up  and  getting  it  ready,  is 
then  of  much  more  value. 

As  this  vegetable  will  be  unknown  to 
many,  I  will  state  that  it  is  used  in  vari- 
ous ways,  but  generally  boiled,  or  stew- 
ed, like  Parsnips  or  Carrots.  It  is  also 
used  to  make  a  soup,  which  has  a  decid- 
ed flavor  of  the  Oyster.  It  is  also  eaten 
as  a  salad,  sliced  and  dressed  with  vine- 
gar, salt,  and  pepper.  There  are  no 
varieties. 


SCORZONEBA-BLACK  SALSIFY. 

(Scorzonera  Hispanica.) 

Very  similar  to  the  above  in  general 
character,  and  of  the  same  culture  and 
Fig.  66.— SALSIFY,  use.  It  is  not,  however,  so  generally 
esteemed  as  the  Oyster  Plant,  and  is  not  grown  except  for 
private  use,  and  even  for  that  purpose  sparingly. 


238  GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

SEA   KALE.— (Cramhe   maritima.) 

This  vegetable  is  much  esteemed  and  grown  largely  for 
market  purposes,  both  in  England  and  France,  and  no 
private  gai-den  of  any  extent  in  either  country,  is  consid- 
ered complete  without  it.  Here,  however,  we  seem  to 
make  but  little  headway  in  its  cultivation.  I  have  never 
yet  seen  it  offered  for  sale  in  our  markets,  and  its  culture 
is  practised  in  but  few  private  gardens. 

There  is  an  impression  that  it  is  difficult  of  culture  in 
our  climate ;  this  is  not  so,  by  any  means ;  it  is  equally  as 
easy  to  grow  it  here  as  it  is  in  England,  only  that,  like  all 
vegetables,  requiring  artificial  heat  for  its  perfection,  its 
cultivation  is  attended  with  more  expense  than  that  of  veg- 
etables that  we  plant  in  the  open  ground,  without  other 
care  than  to  keep  them  clear  of  weeds. 

It  is  increased  either  by  roots  or  by  seed ;  when  roots 
can  be  obtained  to  start  with,  they  are  quicker.  The 
manner  of  operating  with  them  is  as  follows :  in  fall,  a 
few  old  plants  of  Sea  Kale  are  dug  up,  and  the  roots  cut 
in  pieces  of  from  2  to  3  inches  in  length ;  these  are  placed 
in  boxes  of  sand  in  a  dry  cellar,  until  February  or  March } 
they  are  then  strewn  on  the  surface  of  a  hot-bed,  where, 
in  a  week  or  two,  they  will  emit  roots  and  tops ;  they  are 
then  potted,  hardened  off  for  a  few  weeks,  and  as  soon  as 
the  weather  is  settled,  planted  out  in  rows  3  feet  apart, 
and  2  feet  between  the  plants.  If  the  ground  is  in  the 
condition  that  it  should  be,  Sea  Kale,  thus  treated, 
will  produce  crowns  strong  enough  to  give  a  crop  th<" 
next  season  after  planting.  When  grown  from  seed,  the 
seed  should  be  sown  in  hills,  at  the  above  distances  apart, 
in  early  spring,  each  hill  being  thinned  out  to  three  or  four 


VEGETABLES SEA  KALE SHALLOTS.        239 

plants.  In  our  colder  latitudes,  the  crowns  should  be 
covered  by  4  or  6  inches  of  manure  or  leaves,  as  a  protec- 
tion from  frost. 

Sea  Kale  is  only  fit  for  use  in  the  blanched  state,  conse- 
quently, on  the  approach  of 
spring,  the  "  crowns  "  should 
"be  covered  with  some  light 
material,  such  as  sand  or  leaf 
mold,  to  the  depth  of  12  or 
15  inches,  so  that  the  young 
shoot,  being  thus  excluded 
from  the  light,  will  become 
blanched  in  growing  through 
this  covering,  or,  sometimes 
cans,  made  for  the  purpose, 
or  inverted  flower  pots,  are 
used,  the  only  object  being 
to  exclude  light.  In  England 
it  is  forced  extensively,  by 
covering  over  the  whole  beds 
with  leaves,  manure,  or  some 
heating  material.  The  young 
shoots,  when  cooked,  have 
a  flavor  something  between 
Asparagus  and  Cauliflower, 
Fig.  67.— SEA  KALE.  but  is  much  preferred  to 

either.  The  engraving  shows  a  young  shoot,  when  ready 
for  the  table.  The  fully  developed  leaves  are  large  and 
robust. 


240  GABDEXETO   FOB  PROFIT. 

SHALLOTS. — (Allium  ascaZonicum.) 

This  vegetable,  which  is  used  in  the  green  state  in  early 
spring  as  a  substitute  for  Onions,  is  planted  by  dividing 
the  bulb  in  September,  and  planting  in  rows  1  foot  apart 
and  6  inches  between  the  plants ;  it  makes  a  slight  growth 
and  forms  its  roots  in  the  falL  On  the  opening  of  spring, 
it  developes  rapidly,  and  the  single  bulb,  planted  in  Sep- 
tember, will  have  increased,  by  May,  a  dozen  fold.  From 
its  hardy  nature,  coming  in  at  least  three  weeks  earlier 
than  the  Onion,  large  quantities  are  sold,  at  rates  corre- 
sponding with  those  of  Onions  raised  from  sets.  It,  with  us, 
has  ever  been  a  profitable  vegetable  to  raise,  and  I  have 
rarely  found  the  profits  on  an  acre  to  have  been  less  than 
$300.  It  is  generally  cleared  off  by  the  last  week  in  May, 
giving  sufficient  time  to  follow  with  second  crops  of 
Early  Cabbage,  Beets,  Turnips,  etc. 


SORREL.— (Rumex  acetosa.) 

A  well-known  perennial  plant,  cultivated  to  some  ex- 
tent with  us.  It  is  used  in  soups  and  sauces,  mostly  by 
the  Germans  and  French.  In  the  French  markets,  it  is 
nearly  as  abundant  as  Spinach  is  in  ours,  and  is  highly  re- 
commended as  a  wholesome  vegetable.  Its  cultivation  is 
very  simple.  Seeds,  sown  thinly  in  rows  hi  early  spring 
will  give  a  heavy  crop  of  leaves  in  June  and  July ;  when 
the  flower-stalk  of  the  Sorrel  starts  to  grow,  it  should  be 
cut  out,  which  will  add  greatly  to  the  development  of  the 
leaves.  The  crop  may  be  left  two  seasons,  but  is  more 
tender  when  annually  raised  from  seed. 


ITEGETABLES — SPINACH.  241 

SPINACH.— (Spinada  oleracea.) 

This  is  a  very  important  crop  in  our  market  gardens, 
Hundreds  of  acres  of  it  being  cultivated  in  the  neighbor- 
nood  of  New  York.  It  is  one  of  the  most  manageable 
of  all  vegetables,  requiring  but  little  culture,  and  may  b* 
had  fit  for  use  the  entire  season. 

In  our  market  gardens,  it  is  sown  in  early  spring  as  an 
auxiliary  crop,  between  the  rows  of  Early  Cabbage ;  it 
comes  to  perfection  usually  in  five  or  six  weeks  after  sow- 
ing. At  this  season,  it  sells  at  a  low  price,  usually  from 
50  cents  to  $1  per  barrel ;  but  it  requires  but  little  labor, 
and  generally  pays  about  $75  per  acre  of  profit.  The 
main  and  important  crop  is  sown  in  drills,  1  foot  apart,  in 
this  section  from  1st  to  15th  September,  or  late  enough  in 
fall  to  get  about  half  grown  before  cold  weather  sets  in. 
It  is  sometimes  covered  up,  in  exposed  places,  with  straw 
or  salt  hay  during  winter,  which  prevents  it  being  cut 
with  the  frost ;  but  in  sheltered  fields,  here,  there  is  no 
necessity  for  covering. 

Any  soil  that  will  grow  a  good  Corn  crop,  will  grow 
Spinach,  though,  as  is  the  case  with  all  other  vegetables  in 
which  the  leaf  or  stem  is  the  part  used,  the  land  can 
hardly  be  made  too  rich.  Our  practice  is  to  grow  it  on 
our  best  soils,  applying  not  less  than  50  tons  of  well- 
rotted  stable  manure  to  the  acre,  or,  in  lieu  of  stable  man- 
ure, one  ton  of  bone-dust ;  or  about  1,200  Ibs.  guano,  sown 
after  plowing,  and  deeply  harrowed  in.  The  rows  are 
made  with  the  ordinary  garden  "  marker,"  at  the  distance 
of  12  or  15  inches  apart.  The  seed  is  sown  rather  thickly, 
we  prefer  to  do  it  always  by  hand,  using  from  10  to  15 
Ibs.  per  acre;  when  thickly  sown,  the  plants  can  be 


242  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

thinned  out  so  that  a  much  larger  yield  will  be  given. 
We  sow  here  from  the  5th  to  the  15th  of  September,  and 
quite  frequently  sell,  by  thinning  out,  50  or  75  barrels 
from  an  acre,  which  usually,  in  October  and  November, 
sells  for  $2  per  barrel.  This  thinning  out,  which  is  done 
by  cutting  out  the  plants  where  thickest  with  a  knife,  if 
carefully  performed,  does  not  at  all  injure  the  main  crop, 
which  is  to  stand  over  winter  until  spring.  I  may  here 
caution  the  inexperienced  of  the  necessity  of  treading 
down  the  soil  on  the  seed,  if  the  land  is  dry ;  the  crop 
is  often  ruined  by  the  want  of  this  precaution,  in  con- 
tinued hot,  dry  spells  that  are  frequent  with  us  during 
September.  If  the  soil  is  left  loose,  the  hot  air  shrivels 
up  the  seed  so  that  it  will  never  germinate.  If  a  heavy 
roller  is  not  at  hand,  the  best  way  is  to  tread  in  each  row 
with  the  feet.  The  same  precaution  is  necessary  in  the 
sowing  for  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  plants ;  at  this  season 
these  are  often  lost  from  the  same  cause.  There  has  some 
question  arisen  of  late  whether  the  round  or  prickly 
seeded  Spinach  is  the  best ;  as  far  as  I  can  judge,  it  makes 
but  little  difference  which  kind  is  used,  though  we  use  the 
round  almost  exclusively,  as  it  is  the  easiest  to  sow.  The 
price  of  Spinach  in  the  New  York  market,  last  year  in 
February,  for  a  few  days,  reached  $10  per  barrel,  although 
the  average  for  the  spring  months  of  April  and  May  (its 
regular  time  of  selling),  was  not  more  than  $3  per  barrel, 
but  fair  crops  give  a  yield  of  200  barrels  per  acre;  at  a 
high  estimate,  the  expenses  will  not  exceed  $300  per  acre, 
so  that  it  is  safe  to  claim  a  net  profit  of  $300,  although  ex- 
traordinary crops  often  do  much  more  than  this.  A  near 
neighbor  of  mine  realized  $900  from  three-quarters  of  an 


VEGETABLES SPINACH.  243 

acre  last  spring,  getting  the  land  cleared  early  enough  in 
May  to  succeed  the  Spinach  with  a  crop  of  Flat  Dutch 
Cabbage.  Spinach  is  hardy  enough  to  grow  in  almost 
any  part  of  the  country ;  but  in  districts  where  the  ther- 
mometer falls  below  zero,  it  is  necessary  to  cover  it  up 
about  Christmas  with  hay,  straw,  or  leaves,  to  the  depth 
of  two  or  three  inches ;  it  is  best  done  just  as  a  snow 
storm  is  setting  in,  as  the  snow  settles  down  the  covering, 
and  keeps  it  from  blowing  off.  Spinach  is  yet  compara- 
tively little  grown  for  our  Northern  markets  at  the  South, 
but  no  doubt  soon  will  be ;  in  such  latitudes  as  Charleston 
and  Savannah  it  should  be  sown  in  October  and  Novem- 
ber, and  would  be  in  fine  order  for  use  in  February.  At 
this  cool  season  it  could  be  shipped  with  safety,  as  it  will 
remain  in  good  condition  for  three  or  four  days  if  packed, 
and  would  command  a  rapid  sale  at  the  time  when  our 
Northern  crops  are  still  frozen  solid. 

The  varieties  are  very  few. 

Round, — This  is  the  variety  generally  cultivated  for 
winter  use,  being  remarkably  hardy,  and  standing  our  se- 
verest winters  with  but  little  injury.  It  is  the  main  mar- 
ket sort. 

Prickly,  —  Although  this  variety  is  usually  sown  in 
spring  and  summer,  it  also  stands  well  in  winter,  but  gives 
less  bulk  per  acre  than  the  first  named. 


244  GARDENING    FOB   PROFIT. 

SPINACH— SUBSTITUTES  FOR. 

As  Spinach  will  not  endure  the  hot  suns  of  summer,  it 
running  up  to  seed  at  once  if  sown  in  hot  weather,  several 
plants  are  used  as  substitutes,  and  though  these  are  not 
grown  for  market,  they  are  very  convenient  in  the  family 
garden. 

One  of  these  is  the  Swiss  Chard,  mentioned  under  Beet, 
several  forms  of  which  are  sold  as  Spinach  Beet  and  Per- 
petual Spinach.  Perhaps  the  best  substitute  for  Spinach 
in  the  summer  months  is  the 

New  Zealand  Spinach, — (Tetragonia  expansa.} — A 
plant  of  the  same  character  and  uses,  but  of  a  different 
genus,  and  used  only  in  private  gardens.  It  is  a  remark- 
able plant,  of  low  branching  habit,  growing  with  wonder- 
ful luxuriance  during  hot  weather — single  plants  often 
measuring  6  feet  in  diameter.  The  leaves  are  used  ex- 
actly as  common  Spinach ;  it  is  best  grown  by  sowing  the 
seeds  after  the  soil  is  well  warmed,  and  transplanting  to  3 
feet  apart  in  very  rich,  warm  soil. 

Orach* — (Atriplex.  hortensis.} — Another  plant  of  the 
same  family,  and  its  leaves  are  used  in  the  same  manner 
as  Spinach.  It  succeeds  best  if  sown  where  it  is  to  grow, 
in  rich  moist  soil. 

SQUASH. — (CucurUia  Pepo,  and  O.  maxima.) 
A  class  of  vegetables  embracing  more  marked  distinc- 
tions in  sorts,  fitted  for  more  varied  uses,  and  to  be  found, 
during  the  extremes  of  the  season,  in  a  better  state  of  per- 
fection, than,  peril aps,  any  other  product  of  our  gardens. 
Being  of  tropical  origin,  their  growth  is  all  consummated 


VEGETABLES — SQUASH.  245 

during  summer ;  yet  the  fruit  of  the  "  winter  varieties ' 
may  be  kept,  with  a  little  care,  until  May.  They  are  all 
of  luxuriant  and  vigorous  growth,  and  although  they  will 
grow  readily  on  almost  any  soil,  yet  there  is  hardly 
anything  cultivated  that  will  so  well  repay  generous  treat- 
ment. Like  all  plants  of  this  class,  it  is  useless  to  sow 
until  the  weather  has  become  settled  and  warm ;  next  to 
Lima  Beans,  Squashes  should  be  the  last  vegetable  plant- 
ed. Light  soils  are  best  suited  for  their  growth,  and  it  is 
most  economical  of  manure  to  prepare  hills  for  the  seeds, 
in  the  ordinary  manner,  by  incorporating  two  or  three 
shovelfuls  of  well  rotted  manure  with  the  soil,  for  each 
hill.  For  the  Bush  varieties,  from  3  to  4  feet  each  way, 
and  for  the  running  sorts  from  6  to  8  feet.  Eight  or  ten 
seeds  should  be  sown  in  each  hill,  thinning  out  after  they 
have  attained  their  rough  leaves,  leaving  three  or  four  ol 
the  strongest  plants. 

They  are  extensively  grown  for  market,  but  are  not  suf 
ficiently  profitable  for  our  highly  cultivated  gardens,  and 
are  therefore  grown  rather  as  a  farm-garden  crop.  They 
give  a  varying  profit,  in  our  vicinity,  of  from  $100  to  $10 
per  acre.  The  early  varieties  are  grown  quite  extensively 
in  the  vicinity  of  Norfolk,  Charleston,  and  Savannah,  and 
shipped  North,  from  two  to  four  weeks  earlier  than  they 
can  be  had  here,  and  like  all  such  commodities,  bring 
three  or  four  times  the  price  of  those  grown  in  the  vicini- 
ty, in  quantities  that  glut  the  market. 

The  varieties  are  very  numerous,  and  from  the  facility 
with  which  they  will  cross,  it  is  very  difficult  to  retain  th« 
different  kinds  pure. 


246  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

SUMMER    VARIETIES. 

Yellow  and  White  Bush  Scalloped,  —  These  are  the 

two  varieties  that  are  esteemed  the  most  early,  and  are 
such  as  are  almost  exclu- 
sively grown  for  market, 
for  the  first  crop ;  from  the 
hard  texture  of  the  rind, 
they    are   well    fitted  for 
shipping,  and  are  the  sorts 
grown  exclusively  at   the 
Fig.  68.-WHITE-BUSH  SCALLOPED      South    for    that   purpose. 
SQUASH.  The  characters  of  these  va- 

rieties are  very  decided,  never  presenting  any  variation. 
Plant  3  to  4  feet  apart  in  hills. 

Summer  Crook-neck,  —  A  much  esteemed  variety  in 
private  gardens,  somewhat  similar  in  growth  to  the  Bush ; 
rather  more  dwarf.  The  fruit  is  orange-yellow,  covered 
with  warty  excrescences ;  usually  from  7  to  9  inches  long ; 
considered  the  best  flavored  of  the  summer  varieties. 

Boston  Marrow, — This  variety  may  be  termed  second 
early,  coming  in  about  ten  days  after  the  Bush  and  Crook- 
neck  sorts.  The  skin,  which  is  of  a  yellowish  shade,  is 
very  thin ;  the  flesh  thick,  dry  and  fine  grained,  and  of 
unsurpassed  flavor. 

FALL,    OR    WINTER    VARIETIES. 

Hilbbardi — A  general  favorite,  and  more  lai'gely  grown 
as  a  late  sort  than  any  other ;  it  is  of  large  size,  often 
weighing  from  9  to  10  Ibs.  Color  blueish-green,  occasion- 
ally marked  with  brownish-orange  or  yellow ;  flesh  fine 


VEGETABLES — SQUASH — SWEET  POTATO.  247 

grained,  dry,  and  of  excellent  flavor.  It  can  be  had  in 
use  from  September  to  May.  Hills  8  feet  apart. 

Marblehead, — A  new  variety,  introduced  by  Mr.  Greg- 
ory, as  surpassing  all  other  kinds  in  richness  and  excel- 
lence of  flavor.  It  resembles  the  Hubbard  in  shape,  but 
has  a  harder  shell  than  that  variety,  and  is  heavier  in 
proportion  to  its  size  ;  the  flesh  is  also  of  a  lighter  color, 
and  fine-grained.  It  is  productive,  and  a  fine  keeper. 

Yokohama. — A  variety  sent  from  Japan  by  Mr.  Thomas 
Hogg,  in  1860.  The  fruit  is  roundish,  deeply  ribbed; 
color  orange-salmon;  thickly  warted;  flesh  thick,  very 
dry,  sweet,  and  excellent ;  maturing  earlier  than  the  Hub- 
bard,  but  not  so  desirable  for  winter.  Plant  8  feet  apart. 

Winter  Crook-neck,— A  variety  largely  grown  in  some 
of  the  Eastern  States,  where  it  is  said  to  be  kept  the  en- 
tire season.  Skin  reddish-pink,  when  matured;  flesh 
close-grained,  sweet.  Plant  in  hills  9  feet  apart. 

Vegetable  Marrow, — This  variety  is  a  favorite  English 
sort ;  the  fruit  is  very  variable  in  size,  from  9  to  18  inches 
in  length,  by  from  4  to  6  inches  in  diameter.  The  skin  is 
greenish-yellow ;  flesh  white,  soft,  and  of  rich  flavor;  very 
distinct  from  all  of  the  preceding.  Plant  in  hills,  at  8  feet. 


SWEET  POTATO.— (Ipomcea  Batatas.) 

The  Sweet  Potato  requires  a  rich,  light,  warm  soil.  It 
is  more  generally  grown  in  the  Southern  States  than  the 
common  Potato,  as  there  the  soil  and  climate  are  more 
congenial  to  it.  "We  have  often  difliculty,  in  this  district, 


248  GARDENING  FOB  PROFIT. 

in  saving  the  tubers  sound  enough  until  spring,  to  start 
for  sprouting  to  produce  young  plants.  The  great  essen- 
tials to  their  good  preservation,  are  a  dry  and  rather 
warm  atmosphere;  the  cellar,  suitable  to  preserve  the 
common  Potato,  being  usually  much  too  cold  and  damp 
for  this.  Where  there  is  no  place  of  the  necessary  high 
temperature,  it  is  best  to  get  them  in  spring  direct  from 
some  southern  market,  where  they  can  always  be  had  in 
good  condition ;  or  they  can  be  kept  by  packing  in  bar- 
rels in  dry  sand,  and  keeping  them  in  a  -warm  room.  In 
this  district,  we  begin  to  start  the  tubers  in  hot-beds  or 
forcing  pits,  about  the  middle  of  April,  laying  them  thickly 
together  on  a  2-inch  layer  of  sand  and  leaf-mold  compost- 
ed together,  (or  sand  alone  will  suit  if  leaf-mold  cannot 
be  had) ;  as  soon  as  the  buds  or  eyes  show  signs  of  start- 
ing, cover  the  tubers  completely  over  to  the  thickness  of 
an  inch  with  the  same  material.  Treat  as  for  other  tender 
plants  in  the  hot-bed  or  forcing  pit,  and  the  sprouts  or  slips 
will  be  ready  for  planting  out  by  the  first  of  June, 

Market  gardeners  often  make  the  sale  of  Sweet  Potato 
plants  a  very  profitable  operation,  immense  quantities  of 
them  being  sold  to  private  growers  at  the  planting  season. 
As  the  sprouts  from  the  tubers  come  up  very  thickly,  re- 
peated thinnings  are  made,  which  is  not  only  profitable  to 
the  grower,  but  of  great  advantage  to  the  remaining  plants, 
by  giving  them  the  necessary  room  to  grow.  One  grower, 
in  this  vicinity,  informed  me  that  last  season  he  sold  up- 
wards of  $1000  worth  of  plants  from  150  sashes.  The 
profit  from  the  cultivation  of  the  plant  in  the  field  ia 
something  less  than  that  from  Tomatoes,  but  more  than 
from  the  common  Potato. 


VEGETABLES — SWEET  POTATO — TOMATO.  249 

In  this  latitude,  the  Sweet  Potato  should  never  be 
planted  much  earlier  than  the  first  of  June ;  it  is  very 
susceptible  of  being  chilled,  and  the  weather  is  rarely  set- 
tled and  warm  enough  to  be  safe  here  before  June.  Pre- 
pare 'the  hills  as  for  Tomatoes,  4  feet  apart,  planting  three 
plants  in  each,  or  if  in  rows  or  ridges,  4  feet  apart,  and  ] 
foot  between  the  plants;  in  either  case  requiring  from 
8,000  to  10,000  plants  per  acre. 

The  following  are  the  sorts  mostly  grown. 

IVansemond. — This  is  the  earliest  sort;  tubers  large, 
from  3  to  4  inches  in  diameter  at  the  thickest  part,  taper- 
ing to  each  end,  and  from  5  to  8  inches  long ;  flesh  dry 
sweet  and  well  flavored. 

Red  Skinned, — This  variety  is  claimed  to  be  hardier 
than  the  preceding,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  this  is  the  case. 
It  is  a  long,  slender  variety,  mostly  grown  in  private  gar- 
dens, and  is  believed  to  be  of  a  richer  flavor  than  the  yel- 
low or  white  sorts. 

Yellow  Skinned. — This  sort  is  mainly  cultivated  in  the 
Southern  States,  where  it  attains  nearly  the  weight  of  the 
Nansemond ;  it  requires  a  longer  season  than  that  variety, 
and  is  not  so  suitable  for  the  North.  It  is  of  excellent 
flavor,  and  more  free  from  stringiness  than  any  other  sort. 


esculentum.) 

This  vegetable  is  one  of  the  most  important  of  all  gar- 
den products ;  hundreds  of  acres  are  now  planted  with  it 
in  the  vicinity  of  all  large  cities,  and  the  facility  with 


250  QABDBNING  FOB  PROFIT. 

which  it  is  managed,  places  it  readily  under  the  control  of 
the  least  experienced.  It  is  now  grown  here  almost  en- 
tirely by  those  who  grow  Peas,  Potatoes,  Melons,  and 
other  crops  of  the  "  farm  gardens,"  as  our  market  gardens 
proper  are  too  highly  enriched  and  much  too  limited  in  ex 
tent  to  render  the  cultivation  of  the  Tomato  profitable. 
To  produce  early  crops,  the  seed  must  be  put  down  in  hot- 
beds or  forcing  pits,  about  ten  weeks  before  the  plants  are 
safe  or  fit  to  put  in  the  open  ground.  Thus,  in  this  dis- 
trict, we  sow  in  a  hot-bed  about  the  first  week  in 
March ;  in  April,  the  plants  are  fit  to  be  set  out,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  4  or  5  inches  apart,  in  another  hot-bed.  They 
are  grown  there  (proper  attention  being  given  to  the  hot- 
beds as  directed  under  that  head)  until  the  middle  of 
May,  when  they  are  safe  to  place  in  the  open  ground. 
They  are  planted,  for  early  crops,  on  light  sandy  soil,  at  a 
distance  of  3  feet  apart,  in  hills,  in  which  a  good  sbovelfull 
of  rotted  manure  has  been  mixed.  On  heavy  soils,  which 
are  not  suited  for  an  early  crop,  they  should  be  planted 
4  feet  apart.  Some  attach  great  importance  to  topping 
the  leading  shoot  of  the  Tomato,  so  that  it  branches, 
arguing  that  by  this  means  we  get  an  earlier  and  heavier 
crop ;  all  our  experience  shows  that  no  benefit  whatever  is 
derived  from  the  practice.  Like  all  vegetables  grown  on 
so  large  a  scale,  and  in  such  varying  soil  and  climate,  the 
Tomato  sells  in  our  markets  at  prices  varying  widely,  from 
$10  down  to  25  cents  per  bushel.  The  average  price  for 
those  raised  in  the  district,  being  about  $1  per  bushel. 
The  quantity  raised  per  acre  is  about  400  bushels.  This 
may  seem  at  first  glance  to  be  quite  a  profitable  crop  foi 
a  farmer ;  but,  every  acre  necessitates  the  use  of  at  least 


VEGETABLES— TOMATO.  251 

100  sashes,  for,  on  the  second  transplanting,  about  fifty 
plants  only  can  be  grown  in  a  sash,  and  about  5000  plants 
are  required  for  an  acre.  On  one  occasion,  having  a  very 
suitable  soil,  I  grew  about  four  acres  of  Tomatoes  for 
three  years,  which  realized  me  from  $1500  to  $2000  annu- 
ally in  receipts ;  but  I  discovered  that  the  operation  was 
a  losing  one,  as,  to  raise  20,000  plants  for  my  four  acres, 
I  had  to  make  use  of  400  sashes,  in  which,  in  rather  less 
time  and  with  far  less  labor  than  it  took  to  grow  the  To- 
mato plants,  Lettuce  could  have  been  grown  that  would 
have  sold  for  at  least  $2  per  sash.  Thus  I  lost  annually, 
in  preparing  for  the  Tomato  plants,  half  the  receipts  of  the 
crop,  before  ever  they  were  even  planted.  But  there  are 
many  parts  of  the  country  where  Lettuce,  thus  forward- 
ed, could  not  be  sold,  while  Tomatoes  could,  which  would 
materially  change  the  aspect  of  the  operation.  In  the 
southern  sections  of  the  country,  convenient  to  shipping, 
Tomatoes  are  largely  grown  for  the  northern  markets,  and 
there  sold  at  prices  highly  remunerative  to  the  grower. 
In  many  instances,  in  the  Southern  States,  the  cultivation 
of  Tomatoes  for  market  is  carelessly  done,  the  seed  being 
merely  sown  in  the  open  ground  and  replanted,  as  we  grow 
Cabbages.  No  doubt,  by  starting  in  January  or  Febru- 
ary with  the  hot-beds,  or  even  cold  frames,  and  planting 
out  in  March  or  April,  they  could  be  had  at  least  two 
weeks  earlier  than  they  are  now  sent  to  us. 

There  are  always  some  one  or  more  varieties,  said  to 

be  earlier  than  others,  sent  out  every  spring,  but  it  must 

be  confessed  that  the  varieties  that  we  cultivated  twenty 

years  ago  are  not  in  earliness  a  day  behind  those  issued 

«  "  vastly  superior  "  in  1866.    Last  spring,  to  test  them 


252  GARDENING  FOR  PEOFIT. 

thoroughly,  I  planted  twenty-five  plants  each  of  the  four 
most  popular  sorts,  under  circumstances  exactly  similar  in 
all  respects ;  there  was  no  difference  whatever  in  earliness, 
and  but  little  perceptible  difference  in  productiveness. 

In  my  opinion,  the  extreme  point  of  earliness  in  toma- 
toes has  been  reached  years  ago,  and  now  all  further  im- 
provements must  be  in  point  of  size,  smoothness,  and  so- 
lidity ;  and  that  any  one  laying  claim  to  having  varieties 
a  specified  number  of  days  or  weeks  earlier  than  those  we 
already  have,  does  so  without  having  a  knowledge  of  the 
subject,  or  with  the  desire  to  impose  on  the  public.  The 
tomato  is  a  plant  requiring  at  all  times  a  certain  high 
temperature  to  ripen  its  fruit ;  and  though  it  may  ripen  in 
Georgia  in  May,  in  Virginia  in  June,  in  Delaware  in  July, 
or  in  New  Jersey  in  August,  it  requires  the  same  aggre- 
gate amount  of  heat  to  do  the  work.  The  same  is  true  of 
most  fruits  and  vegetables ;  we  reach  a  certain  point  of 
earliness  with  a  given  variety  in  a  given  locality,  when 
the  temperature  tells  us  we  must  stop.  If  improvement 
in  earliness  was  progressive,  we  might  have  reason  to  ex- 
pect that  the  Radish  or  Lettuce,  which  matures  with  us 
m  the  open  ground  here  in  May,  would  yet  mature  in 
April. 

I  believe  that  our  ordinary  methods  of  saving  Tomato 
and  all  other  seeds  have,  in  fact,  much  to  do  in  preventing 
us  making  any  advance  in  procuring  choice  varieties;  if 
we  would  only  take  the  trouble  to  always  select  the  first 
matured  fruits,  and  the  best  specimens  only,  for  seeds,  and 
so  continue,  there  is  no  question  whatever,  but  it  would 
amply  repay  the  trouble.  But  the  grower  for  market 
grudges  to  give  up  his  first  basket  of  fruit,  that  may  realize 


VEGETABLES — TOMATO.  25*5 

him  $5  or  $10,  for  a  few  ounces  of  seed,  knowing  that  he 
can  get  plenty  when  his  crop  is  not  worth  the  gathering 
for  market.  But,  depend  upon  it,  he  makes  a  mistake, 
for  the  seed  from  his  first  fruits  would,  perhaps,  pay  him 
a  hundred  times  better,  if  used  for  seed,  the  next  year,  than 
any  price  he  might  get  for  it  in  the  market. 

In  private  gardens,  where  space  is  often  limited,  a 
greater  quantity  of  fruit  will  be  obtained  by  elevating 
the  branches  of  the  Tomato  from  the  ground  with  brush, 
such  as  is  used  for  sticking  Peas,  or  by  tying  to  laths 
nailed  against  a  board  fence ;  or,  what  is  neater  yet,  the 
hoop  training  system  as  practised  in  France.  But  for 
market  purposes,  on  a  large  scale,  it  would  require  too 
much  labor. 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  many  varieties  grown. 

The  Trophy, — When  Col.  Waring  advertised  this  varie- 
ty at  25  cents  per  seed,  or  20  seeds  for  $5,  few  thought  he 
would  find  many  purchasers  at  such  a  price;  but  the  uni- 
versal interest  taken  in  this  fruit  and  the  confidence  placed 
in  Mr.  Waring's  statements,  led  to  the  sale  of  seeds  to  a 
large  amount  to  growers  in  all  parts  of  the  country. 

I  had  seen  the  "  Trophy  "  growing,  the  previous  season, 
at  "  Ogden  Farm,"  at  Newport,  R  I.,  and  while  I  felt  that 
Mr.  Waring's  description  was  by  no  means  exaggerated, 
I  declined  to  give  him  my  opinion  until  it  had  been  tested 
in  other  localities,  where  soil  and  climate  were  different. 
In  1870  I  planted  out  a  couple  of  dozen  plants  which  had 
been  started  in  the  usual  way,  and  tied  them  to  stakes. 
Under  the  same  conditions  I  planted  the  "New  York 
Market,"  and  "  Rising  Sun,"  the  varieties  we  considered 
the  best  and  earliest  of  last  year's  experiment.  In  earli- 


254  GARDENING    FOK    PBOFIT. 

ness,  the  "  Trophy "  had  no  perceptible  advantage  over 
the  other  two  •  but  in  size,  smoothness,  and  beauty  of 
coloring,  as  well  as  in  solidity  and  flavor,  it  certainly  ex- 
ceeded them.  So  that  taking  it  all  and  all,  I  believe  it  to 
be  thus  far  unexcelled,  whether  grown  for  private  use  or 
for  market  purposes.  This  opinion  I  find  very  generally 
concurred  in,  in  all  sections  of  the  country  wherever  it  has 
been  submitted  to  a  trial  test  with  others. 

Early  Smooth    Red, — A   very  old  variety,  but   one 
which,  for  general  crop  for  market  purposes,  I  believe  is 


Fig.  69. — EABLT  SMOOTH  BED  TOMATO. 

yet  unsurpassed.  In  the  trial  above  referred  to,  it  was 
tested,  with  the  Cook's  Favorite,  Tilden,  and  Powelfs 
Early,  and  with  no  perceptible  advantage  in  earliness  to 
either,  but  the  Early  Smooth  presented  the  greatest 
amount  of  marketable  fruit.  This  variety  is  of  medium 
size ;  rich  coral-red ;  roundish ;  much  flattened ;  very  solid. 
General  Grant. — A  very  superior  variety ;  fruit  large, 
round  in  form,  slightly  flattened,  very  smooth  and  sym- 
metrical. It  ripens  rapidly  and  thoroughly,  is  very  solid, 
productive,  and  of  good  quality. 


VEGETABLES — TOMATO — TUKNIP.  255 

The  Cook's  Favorite,— Differing  but  little  from  the 
preceding,  except  in  shape  of  the  fruit,  which  is  rounder 
and  less  flattened.  It  is  grown  largely  of  late  years  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Philadelphia,  and  in  southern  New 
Jersey,  but  is  not  yet  a  "  favorite  "  in  New  York. 

Fcjec  Island,  or  Lester's  Perfected, — The  fruit  of  this 
variety  is  of  the  largest  size;  color  reddish-pink;  very 
solid,  and  well  flavored ;  a  most  abundant  bearer.  Its 
lateness,  as  well  as  its  objectionable  color,  make  it  of  lit- 
tle value  as  a  market  sort,  but  it  is  still  grown  by  many. 

Red  and  Yellow  Plum, — Beautiful  varieties,  never  ex- 
ceeding 2  inches  in  length,  by  1  inch  in  diameter.  They 
are  mainly  used  for  pickling  and  preserving. 

Tree  Tomato,  or  Tomate  de  Laye, — This  variety  is  en- 
tirely distinct  from  all  the  others,  in  its  upright  and  tree- 
like habit.  It  was  introduced  to  tins  country  some  six  or 
seven  years  ago,  from  France,  but  has  never  shown  any 
quality  deserving  general  cultivation,  and  is  now  only 
grown  in  private  gardens  more  as  a  half  useful  curiosity 
than  anything  else. 


TURNIP. — (Bratsica  campestris.) 

The  cultivation  of  the  Turnip  as  an  early  crop  for  mar- 
ket purposes,  sold  bunched  in  the  green  state,  is  in  all  re- 
spects the  same  as  detailed  for  Early  Beets.  The  profits 
of  the  crop  are  also  similar.  The  Turnip,  however,  for 
early  crops,  is  rather  more  particular  about  soil  than  the 


256  GARDENING  FOB  PROFIT. 

Beet,  and  can  best  be  produced  early  on  light  sandy  or 
gravelly  soils,  highly  enriched  with  manure. 

For  late  crops,  sowings  may  be  made,  for  Ruta  Bagas, 
from  May  to  September,  in  the  different  sections  of  the 
country ;  here,  the  finest  roots  are  obtained  by  sowing 
about  first  week  in  June.  For  white  and  yellow  varieties, 
as  they  come  quicker  to  maturity,  sowing  should  be  de- 
layed four  or  five  weeks  later.  Here,  we  sow  from  the 
middle  of  July  to  the  middle  of  August. 

Turnips,  whether  for  early  or  late  crops,  should  always 
be  sown  in  drills,  about  14  or  18  inches  apart.  In  large 
quantities,  they  are  sown  by  the  machine,  when  one  pound 
of  seed  will  be  enough  for  an  acre.  In  the  Northern 
States,  it  is  necessary  to  take  them  up  on  the  approach  of 
severe  weather,  when  they  are  best  preserved  during  win- 
ter by  being  pitted,  as  recommended  for  other  roots.  The 
late  crops  of  Turnips  are  by  no  means  so  profitable  as  the 
early,  rarely  realizing  to  the  grower  more  than  $75  per 
acre ;  but  like  most  other  late  crops  of  the  garden  or 
farrn^  they  can  be  grown  with  less  manure,  are  less  perish- 
able if  not  immediately  sold,  and  are  consequently  grown 
by  the  farmer  on  his  less  valuable  but  more  extensive 
grounds. 

The  following  are  the  leading  varieties  grown. 

Purple  Top  Strap-leaved, — The  variety  mainly  grown 
for  early  crop,  attaining,  when  well  grown,  a  diameter  of 
5  to  6  inches,  but  is  first  gathered  for  market  use  at  about 
half  that  size.  It  is  a  firm,  solid  variety,  free  from  spon- 
giness,  of  very  handsome  appearance ;  the  lower  two- 
thirds  of  the  root  is  white,  while  the  upper  portion  has  a 
well  defined  line  of  purple. 


VEGETABLES — KUTA   BAGA,  257 

White  Strap-leaved.  —  This  favorite  sort  has  the 
same  shape  as  the  Purple  Top,  but  entirely  white ;  it  is 
equally  early,  and  by  some  thought  to  be  the  best  of  all 
in  flavor ;  but  is  less  salable  in  market,  its  appearance 
being  less  attractive. 

Yellow  Aberdeen, — This  is  an  excellent  variety  for  culi- 
nary use,  though  not  so  early  as  the  preceding ;  the  bulb 
is  nearly  round,  of  a  dull  yellow  beneath,  and  purple  or 
green  at  top.  It  is  a  very  solid  variety,  keeping  well 
throughout  the  winter,  and  as  it  attains  a  greater  weight 
under  favorable  conditions,  is  much  grown  for  stock. 


RUTA  BAGA,   OR  SWEDES  TURNIP. 

Improved  American. — The  leading  variety  of  this 
division  of  the  family ;  is  grown  very  largely  for  winter 
sale  in  our  northern  markets.  Under  different  culture,  it 
assumes  a  great  difference  of  shape  and  size,  average  speci- 
mens being  6  inches  long,  by  4  or  5  inches  wide.  It  is 
always  hard  and  solid,  and  is  perhaps  specifically  heavier 
than  any  other  vegetable  root  cultivated. 

Laing'S  Purple  Top, — A  rather  late  variety,  but,  in 
good  land,  giving  enormous  crops.  It  produces  a  great 
abundance  of  leaves,  and  for  this  reason  requires  at  least 
a  space  of  18  inches  between  the  rows,  and  12  inches  be- 
tween the  plants.  In  shape,  it  is  nearly  round ;  smooth 
skinned,  and  handsome. 


258  GARDENING    FOB    PKOFIT. 

THYME,    SAGE,    SUMMER    SAVORY,  AND    MAR- 
JORAM. 

I  believe  the  cultivation  of  Sweet  Herbs,  for  market 
purposes,  is  but  little  known  in  this  country,  except  in  the 
vegetable  gardens  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York ;  there  it 
is  practised  to  an  extent  of  perhaps  60  or  70  acres,  a  fair 
average  product  of  which  would  be  about  $500  per  acre. 
Like  the  crops  of  Celery,  Spinach,  or  Horseradish,  they 
are  grown  only  as  a  second  crop,  that  is,  they  are  planted 
in  July,  after  an  early  crop  of  Peas,  Cabbages,  Beets,  or 
Onions  has  been  sold  off.  The  varieties  are  Thyme,  Sage, 
Summer  Savory,  and  Sweet  Marjoram,  the  former  two 
being  grown  in  the  ratio  of  ten  acres  to  one  of  the  others. 

The  seed  is  sown  in  April  in  rich  mellow  soil,  carefully 
kept  clean  from  weeds  until  the  plants  are  fit  to  set  out, 
which  may  be  done  any  time  that  the  ground  is  ready 
from  middle  of  June  until  end  of  July.  As  the  plants  are 
usually  small  and  delicate,  it  is  necessary  that  the  ground 
be  well  fined  down  by  harrowing  and  raking  before  plant- 
ing. The  distance  apart,  for  all  the  varieties,  is  about  the 
same,  namely,  12  inches  between  the  rows,  and  8  or  10 
inches  between  the  plants ;  the  lines  are  marked  out  by 
the  "marker."  (This  is  the  "marker"  used  for  many 
other  purposes ;  in  lining  out  the  rows  for  Early  Cab- 
bages, for  instance,  every  alternate  line  is  planted,  thus 
leaving  them  2  feet  apart,  their  proper  distance.)  In 
eight  or  ten  days  after  the  herb  crop  has  been  planted,  the 
ground  is  "  hoed  "  lightly  over  by  a  steel  rake,  which  dis- 
turbs the  surface  sufficiently  to  destroy  the  crop  of  weeds 
that  are  just  beginning  to  germinate ;  it  is  done  in  one- 
third  of  the  time  that  it  could  be  done  by  a  hoe,  and  an- 


SWEET   HERBS— THYME SAGE ETC.  259 

swers  the  purpose  quite  as  well,  as  deep  hoeing  at  this 
early  stage  of  planting  is  perfectly  useless.  In  ten  or 
twelve  days  more,  the  same  operation  is  repeated  -with 
the  steel  rake,  which  usually  effectually  destroys  all  weeds 
the  seeds  of  which  are  near  enough  to  the  surface  to 
germinate.  We  use  the  steel  rake  in  lieu  of  a  hoe  on  all 
•>ur  crops,  immediately -after  planting,  for,  as  before  said, 
leep  hoeing  on  plants  of  any  kind  when  newly  planted, 
>B  quite  unnecessary,  and  by  the  steady  application  of  the 
fake,  weeds  are  easily  kept  down,  and  it  is  great  economy 
of  labor  never  to  allow  them  to  start.  By  the  middle  of 
September  the  herb  crop  usually  covers  the  ground  com- 
pletely, looking  like  a  field  of  clover.  Allow  this  mass  to 
grow  for  another  month  as  it  is,  and  you  would  not  in- 
crease the  weight  of  leaves ;  the  plants  would  grow  taller, 
keeping  the  green  and  marketable  leaves  on  the  top,  but 
only  yellow  and  withered  ones  and  plenty  of  woody  stems 
below.  But  by  cutting  out  every  alternate  row  (each 
plant  making  about  two  bunches),  the  remaining  rows  are 
allowed  light  and  air,  and  in  three  or  four  weeks  will  have 
spread  so  as  again  to  cover  up  the  entire  surface,  from 
which  half  the  crop  has  already  been  gathered.  We  treat 
Thyme  in  all  respects  the  same  as  Sage ;  and  I  have  seen 
both  these  herbs  on  rich  soil  not  only  meet  when  left  2 
feet  apart,  but  when  again  every  other  row  at  2  feet  apart 
was  cut  out,  almost  meet  at  4  feet  apart. 

By  this  method  of  cutting  out  every  other  row,  fully  a 
double  crop  is  taken,  and  of  a  quality  superior  to  what  it 
would  be  were  it  allowed  to  grow  without  being  thus 
thinned  out.  About  18  years  ago  I  was  lucky  enough  to 
discover  the  importance  of  this  plan  of  doubling  our  crops 


260  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

of  herbs ;  and  as  I  had  not,  in  those  days,  begun  to  tell 
"  what  I  know  about  gardening,"  I  kept  my  own  counsel 
for  some  years  before  my  neighbors  discovered  the  plan. 

Herbs  are  regarded  as  a  very  safe  crop  for  the  mar- 
ket gardener ;  they  are  less  perishable  than  anything  else 
grown,  for,  if  there  be  any  interruption  to  their  sale  in  a 
green  state,  they  can  be  dried  and  boxed  up  and  sold  in 
the  dry  state,  months  after,  if  necessary.  The  usual  price 
is  from  $10  to  $15  per  1,000  bunches,  and  we  always  pre- 
fer to  dry  them  rather  than  sell  lower  than  $10  per  1,000, 
experience  telling  us  that  the  market  will  usually  so  reg- 
ulate itself  as  to  handsomely  pay  for  holding  back  the 
sale.  The  cost  of  getting  the  crop  raised  and  marketed 
will  average  about  $150  per  acre,  the  principal  expense 
being  in  tying  it  in  bunches.  But  with  many  of  our  in- 
dustrious German  gardeners  it  does  not  cost  half  that,  as 
the  tying  up  is  usually  done  by  their  wives  and  children. 

There  are  but  few  varieties  among  Herbs,  but  of  Thyme 
there  are  several,  and  it  is  yery  important  to  plant  only 
what  is  known  as  the  "  spreading  variety";  an  upright 
sort,  sometimes  sold,  is  worthless  as  a  market  crop.  The 
Sage,  known  as  the  Broad-leaved,  is  the  best. 

I  am  often  asked,  by  correspondents  at  a  distance,  in 
relation  to  the  best  way  of  selling  herbs  in  New  York 
City.  I  will  here  say,  that  there  is  no  certain  sale  that  I 
know  of,  unless  they  are  in  the  green  state.  The  season 
for  selling  is  October,  November,  and  December;  and  if 
shipped  in  open  crates,  so  arranged  by  divisions  of  slats 
that  not  more  than  8  or  9  inches  of  a  layer  would  be  to- 
gether, they  could  be  shipped  at  that  cool  season  to  dis- 
tances requiring  fifty  or  sixty  hours  in  the  transit. 


MONTHLY  CALENDAR. 


The  success  of  all  garden  operations  depends  upon 
preparatory  measures ;  for  this  reason,  the  beginner  in 
the  business  can  be  much  benefited  by  being  reminded,  as 
he  goes  along,  of  the  work  necessary  to  be  done  to  ensure 
successful  results  in  the  future.  To  do  this,  I  must  to 
some  extent  repeat  directions  given  in  the  body  of  the 
work,  but  as  they  will  be  presented  here  in  a  condensed 
form,  they  will  not  tax  the  time  of  the  reader.  As  in  all 
other  references  made  to  dates,  the  latitude  of  New  York 
is  taken  as  a  basis,  that  being  not  only  the  point  from 
which  our  experience  has  mostly  been  derived,  but  also 
one  that  will  best  suit  the  majority  of  readers  throughout 
the  country.  Those  whose  location  is  more  southerly  or 
northerly  must  use  their  judgment  in  adapting  the  direc- 
tions to  suit  their  locality. 

JANTTAET. — Vegetation  in  our  Northern  States  is  com 
pletely  dormant  during  this  month,  so  that,  as  far  as  opera- 
tions in  the  soil  are  concerned,  it  might  be  a  season  of 
leisure ;  but  the  business  of  gardening  being  one  that  so 
largely  requires  preparation,  there  is  always  plenty  to  do. 
261 


GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

The  ground  being  usually  frozen,  and  giving  us  good 
hauling,  it  is  always  the  month  in  -which  our  energies  are 
given  to  getting  manure,  muck,  lime,  etc.,  into  conveni- 
ent places  for  spring  work.  Care  should  be  taken  to  get 
manure  in  heaps  large  enough  to  generate  sufficient  heat 
to  prevent  its  being  frozen,  so  that  it  can  be  turned  arid 
broken  up  thoroughly  before  it  is  spread  upon  the  ground. 
This  work  is  often  very  slovenly  performed,  and  the  value 
of  manure  much  reduced  by  inattention  to  turning  and 
breaking  it  up  during  winter.  Sometimes  it  is  injured  by 
being  thinly  scattered,  so  that  it  freezes  solid ;  and  again, 
if  thrown  into  large  heaps,  and  left  unturned,  it  burns  by 
violent  heating,  getting  in  the  condition  which  gardeners 
call  "fire  fanged."  It  is  always  an  indication  that  the 
manure  heap  needs  turning  when  it  is  seen  to  emit  vapor, 
no  matter  how  often  it  has  been  turned  previously,  for  it 
should  always  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  quickly  loses  by 
heating,  while  it  always  gams  by  a  thorough  breaking  up 
in  turning. 

January  is  usually  the  month  in  which  we  have  our 
heaviest  snow  storms,  which  often  entail  on  us  an  immense 
amount  of  necessary,  though  unprofitable  labor,  not  only 
in  clearing  roads,  but  also  in  clearing  off  the  snow  from 
our  cold  frames  and  forcing  pits,  for  even  at  this  season  of 
dormant  vegetation,  light  is  indispensable  to  the  well-be- 
ing  of  our  vegetable  plants ;  unless  they  are  in  a  frozen 
tondition,  that  is,  if  we  have  had  a  continuation  of  zero 
weather,  all  our  plants  of  Cabbage,  Lettuce,  Cauliflower, 
etc.,  are  frozen  in  the  cold  frames ;  if  in  this  state,  the 
glass  is  covered  up  by  snow,  it  is  unnecessary  to  remove 
it  even  for  two  or  three  weeks,  but  if  the  weather  hap 


MONTHLY    CALENDAB.  263 

been  mild  so  that  the  plants  under  the  sashes  have  not 
been  frozen  when  covered  by  snow,  then  the  snow  must 
be  cleared  from  the  glass  as  soon  as  practicable.  In  the 
green-houses,  hot-beds,  or  forcing  pits,  where  artificial  heat 
is  used,  the  removal  of  the  snow  from  the  glass  is  of  the 
utmost  consequence. 

If  not  done  in  December,  the  final  covering  up  of  Cel- 
ery trenches,  root  pits,  and  all  things  requiring  protection 
from  frost,  should  be  attended  to  in  the  first  week  of  this 
month. 

Should  the  ground  be  open  enough  to  allow  of  dig- 
ging, (which  occasionally  occurs  here  even  in  January) 
let  all  roots,  remaining  in  the  ground,  be  dug  up  and  pit- 
ted, as  another  chance  is  not  likely  to  occur  before  spring. 
Cold  frames  and  forcing  pits,  particularly  the  former, 
should  be  aired  whenever  the  weather  will  permit,  for  it 
is  necessary,  to  carry  them  safely  through  until  spring, 
that  they  may  be  properly  hardened.  (See  article  on 
Cold  Frames.) 

FEBRUARY. — The  gardening  operations  differ  but  little 
from  those  of  January,  except  that  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
month,  as  the  days  lengthen  and  the  sun  gets  brighter, 
more  air  may  be  given  to  framing  and  forcing  pits.  Hot 
manure  should  now  be  got  forward  to  be  prepared  for  hot- 
beds, and  if  desired,  some  may  be  formed  this  month.  (See 
article  on  Hot-beds.)  Have  all  tools  purchased  or  repair- 
ed, so  that  no  time  may  be  lost  in  the  more  valuable  days 
of  next  month.  It  is  important  to  have  always  spare 
tools  of  the  leading  kinds,  so  that  men  may  not  be  thrown 
idle,  at  a  hurried  season,  by  the  breaking  of  a  fork,  spade, 
or  hoe.  In  harness  and  implements,  connected  with  the 


264  GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 

teams,  it  is  of  great  importance  to  have  spare  parts  to 
replace  those  liable  to  be  broken ;  otherwise,  frequently 
half  a  day  is  lost,  by  the  breaking  of  a  whiffle-tree,  or 
plow  share,  causing  more  loss  by  delay,  than  three  or  four 
times  the  cost  of  the  article. 

MARCH — is  one  of  the  busiest  months  in  the  year  with  us. 
Hot-beds  are  made,  and  planted  or  sown,  and  Lettuce  crops 
may  be  planted  in  cold  frames  and  forcing  pits,  (see  direc- 
tions under  these  heads).  In  the  latter  part  of  the  month 
we  often  begin,  on  dry  soils,  the  sowing  or  planting  in  the 
open  ground  of  such  hardy  vegetables  as  Horseradish, 
Cabbage,  Lettuce,  Onions,  Radishes,  Turnips,  etc.,  etc. 
Although  we  gain  but  little  in  earliness  by  starting  before 
April,  yet  it  forwards  our  operations,  so  that  it  equalizes 
labor  more  than  when  starting  late  in  spring.  Enthusi- 
astic beginners  must  avoid  the  too  common  error  of  be- 
ginning out-door  operations  too  soon,  when  the  soil  is 
not  sufficiently  dry ;  for,  if  the  soil  is  dug  or  plowed  while 
wet,  it  is  highly  injurious,  not  only  destroying  the  pres- 
ent crop,  but  injuring  the  land  for  years  after. 

New  plantations  of  Asparagus,  Rhubarb,  Sea  Kale,  and 
Artichokes  may  be  made,  and  old  beds  top-dressed,  by 
tigging  in  short  manure  close  around  the  plants ;  we  con- 
sider it  more  economical  of  manure  to  do  this  in  spring, 
than  in  fall.  (See  Asparagus.) 

Such  roots  as  Cabbage,  Carrot,  Celery,  Leek,  Lettuce, 
Onion,  Parsnip,  etc.,  planted  to  produce  seed,  may  be  set 
out  the  latter  part  of  this  month,  on  soils  that  are  warm 
and  dry,  drawing  earth  up  around  the  crowns  so  as  to 
protect  them  from  sharp  frosts ;  in  hoeing,  in  April,  this 
foil  is  remored. 


MONTHLY   CALENDAR.  S65 

Where  extra  laborers  are  wanted  for  the  garden,  I  have 
always  considered  it  economy  to  secure  them  in  the  early 
part  of  March,  even  a  week  or  two  before  they  are  really 
needed,  for  if  the  hiring  of  them  is  delayed  until  the  rush 
of  work  is  upon  us,  we  often  have  to  pay  higher  rates  for* 
inferior  hands,  and  have  less  time  to  initiate  them  in  their 
duties.  To  such  as  require  large  numbers  of  hands,  and 
look  to  such  ports  as  New  York  for  emigrants,  let  me  cau- 
tion my  friends  from  the  rural  districts  not  to  believe  too 
implicitly  in  the  promises  of  these  prospective  American 
citizens.  Much  vexatious  experience  has  taught  me 
that  one  out  of  every  three-  men  is  either  worthless,  or 
will  run  away,  so  that  for  many  years  back,  if  I  wanted 
'  four  hands,  I  made  one  job  of  it  and  hired  six,  well  know- 
ing, that  before  a  week  had  passed,  my  force  would  be 
reduced  to  the  required  number. 

APRIL — brings  nearly  all  the  operations  of  the  garden 
imder  way,  the  planting  and  sowing  of  all  the  hardy  vari- 
eties of  vegetables  is  completed  this  month.  (See  table, 
in  article  on  Seed  Sowing).  Look  well  to  the  hot-beds, 
cold  frames,  or  forcing  pits ;  they  will  require  abundance 
of  air,  and,  (where  artificial  heat  is  used),  plenty  of  water ; 
we  have  now  bright  sunshine,  promoting  rapid  vegetation 
under  glass,  and  to  have  heavy  crops,  they  must  not  be 
stinted  in  water.  Hot-beds  are  particularly  critical  in  this 
month;  an  hour  or  two  of  neglect,  in  giving  air,  may 
quickly  scorch  the  tender  plants  that  you  have  been 
nursing  with  so  much  care  for  a  month  previous ;  and  a 
balmy  April  day  may  terminate  in  a  stinging  frost  at 
night,  making  short  work  of  your  hot-beds  if  they  are 
not  well  covered  up  by  straw  mats, 


266  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

Plantations  of  Asparagus,  Rhubarb,  etc.,  if  iiot  made 
last  month,  should  now  be  done,  as  those  set  out  later  than 
April,  will  not  make  such  a  vigorous  growth.  Succession 
crops  of  Lettuce,  Beets,  Cabbage,  Onions,  Peas,  Potatoes, 
Radishes,  Spinach,  Turnips,  etc.,  may  be  planted  or  sown 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  month,  to  succeed  those 
planted  in  March  and  early  part  of  April. 

The  early  sown  crops  should  be  hoed,  and  the  ground 
stirred  close  to  the  young  plants,  so  as  to  destroy  the  germ 
of  the  weeds  now  appearing. 

MAY. — Although  the  bulk  of  the  hardy  vegetables  is 
now  planted, yet  the  tender  varieties  are  still  to  come ;  they 
require  more  care  as  they  are  more  susceptible  of  injury, 
by  too  early  or  injudicious  planting,  than  the  others.  In 
the  early  part  of  the  month,  the  succession  crops,  named 
in  April,  may  be  yet  planted  so  as  to  produce  good  crops, 
and  the  tender  varieties,  such  as  Bush  Beans,  Corn,  Melon, 
Okra,  Pepper,  Squash,  Tomato,  may  be  sown  or  planted 
after  the  middle  of  the  month ;  but  Egg  Plants,  Sweet 
Potatoes,  Lima  Beans,  and  Peppers,  had  better  be  delayed 
to  the  last  week  in  May.  The  first  produce  of  the  spring 
plantings  will  now  be  ready  for  use.  Lettuce  or  Radishes, 
planted  in  cold  frames  in  March,  are  matured  from  5th  to 
20th  May,  and  if  covered  up  by  straw  mats  at  night,  ten 
days  earlier.  In  warm  situations,  on  rich,  light  soils,  the 
Radishes,  Lettuce,  Turnips,  or  Peas,  planted  in  March,  are 
fit  for  market.  Rhubarb  and  Asparagus  are  also  fit  to  be 
gathered,  on  early  soils,  the  latter  part  of  the  month. 

Additional  labor  is  now  beginning  to  be  required, 
the  marketing  of  crops  occupying  a  large  portion  of  the 
time,  while  the  thinning  out  of  sown  crops,  and  the  keep- 


MONTHLY    CALENDAR  267 

ing  down  of  weeds  which  are  now  showing  themselves 
everywhere,  entails  an  amount  of  labor  not  before  neces- 
sary. To  withhold  labor  at  this  critical  time,  is  short- 
sighted economy,  whether  by  the  owner  of  a  private 
or  market  garden ;  for  let  the  crops  planted  and  sown, 
once  get  enveloped  by  weeds,  it  will  often  cost  more  in 
labor  to  clean  the  crop,  than  it  will  sell  for ;  it  is  not  at  all 
an  uncommon  occurrence  to  see  acres  of  Carrots  or  Par 
snips  plowed  down,  after  being  carefully  manured  and 
sown,  from  neglect  or  inability  of  the  owner  to  procure 
labor  at  the  proper  time.  The  rapid  development  of  weeds 
is,  to  the  inexperienced,  very  deceptive ;  a  crop  of  Car- 
rots, Parsnips,  Beets,  or  Onions,  may  appear  to  be  easily 
manageable  at  a  given  day  in  May ;  but  a  few  days  of  con- 
tinued rain  occurs,  and  the  crop,  that  could  have  been 
profitably  cultivated  on  the  15th,  is  hopelessly  over-grown 
on  the  25th. 

JUNE  is  one  of  the  months  in  which  we  reap  the  reward 
of  our  operations  in  the  market  garden ;  at  this  time, 
the  bulk  of  all  the  early  crops  matures.  So  far,  nearly  all 
has  been  outlay;  now  we  receive  the  returns.  In  this 
district,  our  early  crops  of  Asparagus,  Beets,  Cauliflower, 
Cabbage,  Lettuce,  Onion,  Peas,  Radishes,  Rhubarb,  Spin- 
ach, and  Turnip,  are  sold  off,  and  the  ground  plowed  for 
the  second  crop,  (except  in  the  cases  of  Asparagus  and 
Rhubarb),  by  the  end  of  the  month.  For  private  gar- 
dens, succession  crops  of  Beets,  Bush  Beans,  Cabbages, 
Cucumbers,  Lettuce,  Peas,  Radishes,  and  Potatoes,  may 
still  be  planted,  but  it  would  hardly  be  profitable  for  mar- 
ket purposes ;  as  it  would  occupy  the  land  wanted  by  the 
market  gardener  for  his  second  crop,  besides  the  market 


268  GAJRDBNING   FOB   PEOFIT. 

buyer  of  the  cities  will  hardly  touch  a  vegetable  or  fruit  be 
hind  its  season  at  any  price.  He  will  pay  10  cents  per  bunch 
for  Radishes  in  May,  and  will  pass  by  a  far  better  article 
of  the  same  kind  in  July  or  August,  though  offered  at  one- 
fifth  the  price.  He  will  give  50  cents  per  quart  for  Toma- 
toes, (half-ripe),  hi  June,  that  he  could  not  be  induced  to 
touch  in  October,  if  he  could  buy  them  at  25  cents  per 
bushel. 

The  Cucumbers,  planted  in  cold  frames  and  forcing 
pits,  are  also  marketable  in  the  latter  part  of  this  month. 
Great  care  must  be  taken  to  have  them  abundantly  water- 
ed in  dry  weather ;  inattention  to  watering,  (particularly 
of  all  vegetables  under  glass),  is  sure  to  entail  loss  on  the 
cultivator,  by  giving  an  imperfect  or  partial  crop.  Water- 
ing had  better  be  done  in  the  evening,  whenever  the  surface 
appears  dry,  not  by  a  mere  sprinkling,  but  by  a  thorough 
soaking ;  not  less  than  a  gallon  to  every  square  yard  of 
surface.  As  soon  as  the  Cucumbers  are  all  cut  from  the 
frames,  the  sashes  should  be  piled  up  at  the  ends  of  each 
section,  and  covered  with  a  shutter,  and  a  weight  of  some 
kind  put  on  the  top,  to  prevent  them  being  blown  off  by 
high  winds. 

JULY. — The  remaining  part  of  the  spring  crops  are 
cleared  off  in  the  early  part  of  this  month,  and  by  the 
middle  of  it,  unless  the  season  is  unusually  dry,  all  the 
ground  is  planted  with  the  second  crops  of  Celery,  Sage, 
Thyme,  Late  Cabbage,  Broccoli,  Cauliflower,  or  Leeks. 
Little  is  done  to  these  crops  this  month,  as  but  little 
growth  is  made  during  the  hot  dry  weather,  and  newly 
planted  crops  are  merely  stirred  between  the  rows  with 
the  hoe  or  cultivator.  Some  of  the  other  later  crops  are  now 


MONTHLY    CALENDAB.  269 

maturing  for  market.  Bush  Beans,  Cucumbers,  Potatoes, 
Squashes,  and  in  early  places,  Tomatoes ;  also  succession 
crops  of  Peas,  Beets,  Onions,  Cabbages,  etc.,  such  of 
these  as  only  mature  during  the  end  of  the  month,  render 
the  second  crops  rather  late,  unless  for  the  later  crops  of 
Celery  and  Spinach. 

AUGUST. — Except  the  months  of  January  and  Febru- 
ary, August  is  a  month  requiring  less  labor  in  the  market 
garden  than  any  other;  usually  all  the  planting  has  been 
done  in  July,  and  the  long  drouths  common  at  this  season, 
stagnate  the  growth  of  even  our  most  luxuriant  weeds, 
so  that  in  this  month,  of  all  others,  the  garden  ought 
to  be  clean. 

Late  plantings  of  Celery  may  be  made,  to  the  middle  of 
the.  month,  and  still  make  fair-sized  roots  for  winter. 
Spinach  may  also  be  sown  for  an  early  crop,  to  be  cut  off 
in  fall.  Ruta  Baga  Turnips  should  be  sown  early  in  the 
month,  and  the  white  and  yellow  varieties  during  the  later 
part.  If  the  fly  attacks  them,  it  may  be  kept  down,  so  as 
to  do  but  little  harm,  by  frequent  applications  of  lime: 
dusted  lightly  over  the  rows.  Bush  Beans  and  Peas,  may 
still  be  sown  for  late  crops.  The  Onion  crop  will  ripen 
off  during  this  month,  and  when  convenient  to  market, 
should  be  offered  for  sale  as  soon  as  gathered,  as  the 
price  received  for  those  first  sold,  is  frequently  double  that 
of  those  coming  in  ten  days  later. 

SEPTEMBER. — The  cool  nights  and  moist  atmosphere  of 
this  month  begin  to  tell  strikingly  on  the  crops  planted  for 
fall  use ;  Celery,  Cabbage,  and  Cauliflower,  now  grow  rap- 
idly, and  require  repeated  stirring  of  the  soil  with  the 
plow,  cultivator,  or  hoe.  Celery,  that  is  wanted  for  new 


270  ; GARDENING   FOB  PROFIT. 

towards  the  latter  part  of  the  month,  may  now  be  "  han- 
dled," or  straightened  up,  and  the  earth  drawn  to  it  by 
the  hoe ;  in  a  week  or  so  after,  it  may  be  "  banked  up  " 
by  the  spade  to  half  its  hight,  allowed  to  grow  for  an- 
other week  or  more,  until  it  lengthens  out  a  little  farther, 
when  the  banking  should  be  continued  as  high  as  its  top. 
In  ten  days,  (at  this  season),  when  thus  finished,  it  ia 
blanched  sufficiently  to  use,  and  should  then  be  used,  or 
it  will  soon  spoil.  Care  must  be  taken  that  no  more  is 
banked  up  than  can  be  sold  or  used,  as  it  is  not  only 
labor  lost,  but  is  decidedly  hurtful  to  the  Celery,  by  mak- 
ing it  hollow.  The  practice  recommended  by  most  au- 
thorities, and  still  practiced  by  private  gardeners,  is,  to 
keep  earthing  it  up  every  two  weeks  from  the  time  it 
begins  to  grow ;  this  is  utter  nonsense,  resulting  in  giving 
Celery  tough,  stringy,  and  rusty  —  utterly  unfit  to  eat, 
while  the  expenditure  in  labor  would  be  twice  more  than 
the  price  it  would  bring  if  sold ;  for  further  information 
on  this  important  subject,  see  article  on  Celery.  The  seeds 
of  Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  and  Lettuce,  should  be  sown  this 
month,  from  the  10th  to  the  20th,  for  the  purpose  of  be- 
ing pricked  out  in  cold  frames  to  be  wintered  over ;  it  is 
very  important  that  the  sowing  should  be  done  as  near 
these  dates  as  possible,  for  if  sown  much  before  the  10th, 
the  plants  may  run  up  to  seed  when  planted  out  in  spring, 
if  much  later  than  the  20th,  they  would  be  too  weak  to 
be  wintered  over.  Shallots  and  Onions  should  also  be 
planted  this  month,  and  Spinach  and  German  Greens,  or 
**  Sprouts,"  sown  to  be  wintered  over,  all  now  for  spring  use 
OCTOBEB. — This  month  corresponds  in  part  to  June  of 
the  summer  months,  being  that,  in  which  the  returns  from 


MONTHLY   CALENDAB.  271 

the  second  'crops  come  in.  Celery,  that  has  been  banked 
or  earthed  up,  now  sells  freely  and  in  considerable  quanti- 
ties ;  all  the  crop  should  this  month  be  "  handled,"  and 
as  much  as  possible  earthed  up.  Cauliflower  is  always 
scarce  and  dear  in  the  early  part  of  this  month,  but  unless 
the  fall  has  been  unusually  moist,  is  generally  not  matured 
until  towards  the  end  of  the  month.  Thyme,  Sage,  and 
all  Sweet  Herbs,  should  now  be  sold,  from  the  beginning 
of  the  month,  cutting  out  only  every  alternate  row,  as  it 
gives  the  crop  time  to  grow,  so  that  the  remaining  rows 
spread  sufficiently  to  fill  the  space.  (See  article  on 
Thyme,  etc). 

The  crops  planted  or  sown  last  month,  must  now  be 
carefully  hoed,  and  the  weeds  removed;  for,  though 
weeds  are  not  quite  so  numerous  in  variety  as  in  summer, 
Chickweed,  now  very  abundant,  is  one  of  the  most  ex- 
pensive weeds  of  the  garden  to  eradicate. 

The  plants  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower,  and  Lettuce,  re- 
commended to  be  sown  last  month,  are  now  fit  to  be 
pricked  out  in  the  cold  frames.  (See  detail  of  the  process.) 

NOVEMBER. — This  month  warns  us  that  winter  is  ap- 
proaching, and  preparations  should  be  carefully  made  to- 
wards securing  all  products  of  the  garden  that  are  perish- 
able by  frost.  The  process  of  putting  away  the  Celery 
crop  in  trenches  for  winter  use,  (see  Celery  article),  should 
be  begun  about  the  5th  or  10th  of  the  month  in  dry 
weather ;  that  put  in  trenches  then,  will  be  blanched  suf 
ficiently  for  use  in  six  or  eight  weeks,  but  when  sufficient 
'ielp  can  be  obtained,  it  will  always  pay  well  to  bank  or 
«arth  up  a  large  portion  of  Celery  by  the  spade,  clear  to 
the  top;  this  will  keep  it  safe  from  injury  from  any 


272  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

frost  that  we  have  in  this  month,  and  thus  protected,  it 
need  not  be  put  away  into  winter  quarters — the  trenches 
—before  the  end  of  November ;  put  away  thus  late,  it  will 
keep  without  the  loss  of  a  root  until  March  or  April, 
when  it  is  always  scarce  and  high  in  price. 

The  great  difficulty  most  persons  have,  is  from  stowing  it 
away  and  covering  it  up  too  early ;  this  practice  of  earth- 
ing it  up  to  the  top  roughly  in  November  we  have  only 
practiced  for  the  past  two  seasons,  but  find  the  extra  labor 
well  repaid,  as  we  are  enabled  thus  to  save  this  very  valu- 
able crop  without  loss.  There  is  rarely  need  of  applying 
any  covering  of  leaves  or  litter  to  the  trenches  this 
month,  and  it  cannot  be  too  often  told  that  the  cov- 
ering up  of  vegetables  of  all  kinds  in  winter  quarters 
should  be  delayed  to  the  very  last  moment  that  it  is  safe 
to  do  so.  Beets,  Carrots,  Cabbages,  and  Cauliflowers, 
must  be  dug  up,  and  secured  this  month  in  the  manner  re- 
commended in  "Preserving  Vegetables  in  Winter." 
Horseradish,  Salsify,  and  Parsnips,  being  entirely  hardy, 
and  frost  proof,  need  not  necessarily  be  dug,  although 
from  the  danger  of  their  being  frozen  in  the  ground  nexif 
month,  if  time  will  permit,  the  work  had  better  be  prog- 


All  clear  ground  should  be  dug  or  plowed,  and  properly 
leveled,  so  that  on  the  opening  of  spring  operations  can 
be  begun  with  as  little  delay  as  possible.  If  draining  is 
required,  this  is  the  most  convenient  time  to  do  it,  the 
ground  being  clear,  and  not  yet  much  frozen. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  month,  the  sashes  should  be  put 
on  the  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  plants  in  cold  nights,  but  on 


MONTHLY    CALENDAR  273 

no  account  should  they  be  kept  on  in  day  time,  as  it  is  of 
the  utmost  importance  that  they  be  not  made  tender  at 
this  time  by  being  "drawn"  under  the  sashes.  I  may 
again  repeat  that  these  plants  are  half  hardy,  and  it  is 
killing  them  with  kindness  to  protect  them  from  slight 
freezing.  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  plants  may  be  exposed 
in  any  place  without  glass,  or  other  protection,  where  the 
thermometer  runs  no  lower  than  10  above  zero.  Rhubarb 
and  Asparagus  beds  will  be  benefited  by  a  covering  of  4 
or  6  inches  of  rough  manure,  or  any  other  litter,  to  pre- 
vent the  severity  of  the  frost ;  the  crop  from  beds,  thus 
covered,  will  come  in  a  few  days  earlier,  and  will  be 
stronger  than  if  left  unprotected. 

DECEMBER.  —  Occasionally,  we  have  the  ground  open 
so  that  digging  and  plowing  can  be  done  to  nearly  the  end 
of  the  month,  but  it  is  not  safe  to  calculate  much  after  the 
first  week ;  though  by  covering  up  the  roots,  still  undug, 
with  their  own  leaves  or  with  litter,  we  are  often  enabled 
to  dig  our  Horseradish  or  Parsnips  very  late  in  the  month, 
and  like  all  other  vegetables,  the  later  they  remain  in  the 
soil  they  grow  in,  the  finer  is  the  quality. 

Celery  trenches  should  receive  the  first  covering,  early 
in  the  month,  if  the  weather  has  been  such  that  it  has  been 
unnecessary  before ;  the  covering  should  not  be  less  than 
4  or  5  inches  of  litter  or  leaves,  only  taking  care  that  the 
material  is  light,  weight  or  closeness  would  prevent  evap- 
oration too  much  at  this  season,  while  the  weather  is  not 
yet  severe ;  the  final  covering  should  not  be  later  than  the 
end  of  the  month. 

The  crops  of  Spinach,  Kale,  Onions,  Shallots,  etc.,  that 
have  been  planted  or  sown  in  September,  should  be  cov- 


274  GABDENTNG   FOB    PROFIT. 

ered  up  with  hay  or  straw  if  their  position  is  much  expos- 
ed ;  if  not,  there  is  no  particular  necessity.  When  all  has 
been  secured  safely  in  whiter  quarters,  attention  must  be 
energetically  turned  to  procuring  manure,  muck,  and  all 
available  kinds  of  fertilizers;  there  is  little  danger  of 
spending  too  much  in  this  way  if  you  have  it  to  spend — 
depend  upon  it,  there  is  no  better  investment  if  you  are 
working  your  Garden  for  Profit. 


INDEX. 


"         Jerusalem  

....117 
.107 

Garlic  

181 
63 

Balm  .. 

119 

"        "     Heating  

70 

Basil                           .         .   . 

.  118 

"         "      Watering 

66 

Bean,  Bush  or  Snap  

"     Running  or  Pole  

....119 

....122 

Greens,  German  
Ground,  Preparation  of.  

129 
31 

Beet                    

....124 

...208 

129 

Herbs  Sweet 

258 

131 

Hot-Beds 

55 

Brussels  Sprouts  

....133 
100 

"      '•    Watering  
Horseradish 

58 

181 

.    137 

Insects    

.  99 

"        Late  

..   .145 

"     Asparagus  Beetle  

115 

44         Turnip-tooted  
Carrot            

...  186 
....148 

"      Cabbage  Caterpillar.  .  . 
Implements  

103 
39 

134 

44 

Capital  Required  in  Gardening. 

....  14 
224 

"          Cultivator  
"         Dibber  

42 
47 

148 

"         Difo'in"'  Fork... 

41 

Celeriac      .                 

..  164 

"          Harrow  

40 

Celery  

....151 

"          Marker,  Double. 

45 

*k    Preserving  in  Winter  

....157 
164 

"          Garden  Roller.  .  . 
"          Plow    Cylinder 

45 

127 

"              "       Skeleton. 

42 

Chervil   Turnip-rooted  

151 

"             "      Subsoil... 

40 

165 

43 

49 

"          Scuffle  Hoe.    .  . 

44 

168 

"          Seed  Drill 

47 

168 

"          Shutters  

60 

169 

"          Spade 

41 

165 

"          Steel  Rake    .  . 

....  43 

Cress 

165 

"          Straw  Mats 

61 

166 

"         Watering  Pot 

58 

86 

Kale 

129 

Clumber     * 

172 

Kohl  Rabi 

...  .186 

29 

Leek  

187 

jjfro-  Plant 

176 

Lettuce 

188 

Endive 

.179 

67 

Fertilizers        

....  36 

Marjoram,  Sweet  

..195-258 

..165 

Manures  

34 

63 

Market  Garden  Location 

...  24 

53 

25 

275 

270 


INDEX. 


Market  Gardens,  London  
Market  Wagon  

21 

190 

198 
10 
200 
202 
202 
208 

"     Quantity  per  Acre 
"     Raising 

87 

.   .  74 

Martynia,    .             .        .. 

"     Soil  for  83 
"     Sown  in  Hot-Beds  85 
"     Tablesof  88-89 
"     Vitality  of                          -      7fi 

Melon 

*'     Water 

Men,  Number  Required  per  Acre  .  . 
Mint 

"     When  to  Sow  
Shallots 

79 

240 

Mustard  

Soils  

26 

240 

New  Zealand  Spinach 

210 

217 

214 
230 

237 
217 
219 
221 
004 

Spinach    

241 

Okra   

"     New  Zealand... 

244 

129 

"    Sets               .              

Squash  

244 

"    Potato  

"      Summer  

246 

"     Winter 

246 

Orach                 

258 

Oyster  Plant  

Swedes  Turnip  

257 

"         "    Black 

169 

Parsley  

Sweet  Herbs  

258 

195-258 
247 

Peas 

Sweet  Potato    .  . 

Pepper  

Swiss  Chard  

127 

59 
89 
59 

225 
247 
18 
229 
229 

232 

.257 

.190 

"ofi 

253 

Plants,  Cabbage  and  Cauliflower.  . 
"      Number  to  Acre  
"      Sweet  Potato 

Tomato        .     . 

249 

Transplanting  

90 

255 

"      Tomato,  etc  
Potato 

"      Swedish 

257 

9R 

Vegetable  Plants,  Planting  91 
Vegetables,  Packing  for  Shipping.  .  94 
"           Preservation  in  Winter  96 
Watermelon  .                                    198 

Profits  of  Market  Gardening  

Radish             

»     Late  

MONTHLY  CALBNDAB  OF  OPERATIONS. 
January               .  .                            5<?1 

Rhubarb 

February  

263 

March 

264 

April 

265 

Salad  Patches  

Salsify 

May  

266 

267 

"     Black 

July      

263 

Scorzonera  

237 
233 

77 

81 

August  

.  ~.  .        269 

Seakale 

269 

Seeds,  Failure  of  
"     Germinating  Temperature.  . 
"     Lawsuit  about  

October  

270 

November.  .  , 

271 

December  

....273 

